We spoke to Dr Emma Meredith, director-general for the UK industry body CTPA (Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association), on what she views as the major challenges for the cosmetics and fragrance industry in the UK and beyond for the year ahead…
From PPWR to MoCRA, EPR and deforestation laws, it’s been a regulations-heavy time for the cosmetics industry across the globe. We recap some of the most important regulatory updates in 2023 for companies that sell in the EU, UK and beyond...
With transparency under the microscope due to sustainability demands, issues with counterfeiting, and the upcoming Digital Product Passport initiative, RFID is in the spotlight again.
In response to the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) ‘Save Cruelty-free Cosmetics’, the Commission has outlined a roadmap to help further reduce animal testing, but activists say it’s not good enough.
Far too many beauty and personal care companies still use microplastics and nanoplastics in product formulations, which is unacceptable given the environmental and human health impacts, says the founder of marine conservation NGO Plastic Soup Foundation.
A round-up of CosmeticsDesign-Europe’s most-read news from February 2023 shows interest in legislation around PFAs and microplastics, animal-free safety testing and predictions on hair care and biotech promise.
Several beauty brands and associations have signed an open letter to the European Commission (EC) calling for a faster and more complete ban on intentionally added microplastics in cosmetics.
A call from five EU national authorities to ban production, use and placement on the EU market of all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs) has been published in full by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) today.
A European Citizens’ Initiative calling to protect and strengthen the EU animal testing ban in cosmetics has surpassed one million signatures and will now be reviewed by the European Commission.
Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have submitted a proposal to the European Chemicals Agency ECHA calling for a restriction on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs) under the EU’s chemicals regulation REACH.
The European Union (EU) will see ambitious and radical environmental regulations take form in the coming years, and so beauty and personal care must be ready for the sectoral impact of these, says the director-general of Cosmetics Europe.
The level of regulatory changes set to impact the beauty and personal care sector in the EU this year is unprecedented, and so industry must stay connected and informed, says the director-general of Cosmetics Europe.
Introducing digital product passports will be a strong move in tackling greenwashing in various industries, including cosmetics, but will also open up plenty of opportunities to differentiate and engage with consumers, says a digital expert.
Unilever-owned international beauty brand Dove is making a final push to inspire more European consumers to align on protecting the EU’s ban on animal testing in cosmetics.
The European Commission’s Scientific Committee for Consumer Safety (SCCS) has closed the comment period for its preliminary safety opinion on the two phytoestrogen isoflavone substances, genistein and daidzein.
Establishing and encouraging EU-local partnerships as the European Commission pushes ahead with its green and digital agendas will be critical in ensuring the fragrance industry remains resilient and continues to thrive, says the president of the International...
Supply giant BASF says that whilst the European Green Deal’s Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability opens plenty of innovation opportunities, it will also cause significant disruption and challenges given the simplification of risk assessment and shrinking...
A round-up of CosmeticsDesign-Europe’s most-read news from November 2021 shows interest in EC regulatory updates on CMR chemicals, Unilever’s duo of patents on metal-free antiperspirants and insights on sustainability and consumer trends.
The European Commission (EC) has extended its list of prohibited carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction (CMR) chemicals in cosmetics following extensive consultations with its Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) and other interested...
Upcycled coffee startup Kaffe Bueno has been awarded a European Innovation Council (EIC) grant that it plans to use to build a coffee biorefinery and scale-up its active ingredient offering.
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has published advice on how industry can reliably combine non-animal data from different sources to assess skin sensitisation of chemicals in the EU, using the new Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development...
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have adopted a resolution vote calling on the European Commission to establish an EU-wide action plan to actively phase out animal experiments – a move that adds weight to the cosmetics industry’s fight to protect...
In-depth insight from Cosmetics Europe Annual Conference (CEAC) 2021
The European Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability will lead industry towards a cleaner, toxic-free environment via innovation, prevention and consolidation of existing legal frameworks, with funding set to be released under the EU's Horizon programme,...
In-depth insight from Cosmetics Europe Annual Conference (CEAC) 2021
The European Green Deal will see plenty of strategies and legislation rolled out to slash carbon emissions, phase out harmful chemicals and drive circular business models, but there will be no major overhaul to the existing EU Cosmetics Regulation, according...
The European Commission’s Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability will lay important foundations for achieving European Green Deal goals, but it must consider the specificities of individual industries and value chains, say beauty and personal care industry...
The European Commission’s Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability has the potential to set an example to the world if concrete actions and legislative proposals build it out into something meaningful over the coming years, says the Center for International...
The European Commission has added natural hemp-derived CBD to its cosmetic ingredient database CosIng – a move set to bring welcome clarity for industry and spark fresh innovation in the field.
STATE OF THE INDUSTRY PART II: REFLECTING ON WHAT’S TO COME IN 2021
The European Green Deal will be the biggest policy challenge for the cosmetics and personal care industry in 2021, but industry must also focus on upcoming change around microplastics and digital services, says the director-general of Cosmetics Europe.
The comment period on four preliminary safety opinions from the European Commission’s Scientific Committee for Consumer Safety (SCCS) addressing endocrine disruption and nano toxicity concerns has now closed.
The European Commission (EC) stands by its endorsement of calls made by the European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) Board of Appeal for animal data to verify worker safety of two cosmetic ingredients, despite a recent industry-signed open letter damning such...
More than 400 beauty companies and brands have signed an open letter addressed to the European Commission, Parliament and Council calling for new animal testing to be stopped, in adherence to the existing EU animal testing ban on cosmetic products and...
Procter & Gamble, Unilever, L’Oréal and Avon are among signatories of an open statement claiming the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and its Board of Appeal is undermining the EU animal testing ban on cosmetics - a claim the agency refutes.
A round-up of CosmeticsDesign-Europe’s most-read news from October 2020 shows interest in a raft of sustainable innovations and advances and buzz around use of live probiotics and the latest beauty device launch from L’Oréal.
The European Commission (EC) has adopted a Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability to further strengthen protection of human and environmental health, including a phase out of the most harmful substances and simplification of the risk assessment process.
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has displayed a very narrow view of the cosmetics and personal care industry in its proposal to restrict microplastics, underestimating the true value and complexity of the sector, says the director-general...
The European Commission’s Scientific Committee for Consumer Safety (SCCS) has published its preliminary opinion on the safety of titanium dioxide (TiO2) in cosmetics and is now seeking comment.
The European Commission will soon publish its final synopsis report and evaluation of findings from public, stakeholder and SME consultations on current EU assessment and management of endocrine disruptors.
Under the lens Part I: REACH microplastics restriction
Cosmetics Europe and its member associations will continue their argument that the European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) proposal to restrict microplastics on the EU market remains disproportionately weighted against beauty and personal care.
Non-animal tests on chemical substances continue to be widely used in the EU, with read-across studies most popular and in vitro methods gaining traction, according to the European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) latest report.
The European Commission’s Scientific Committee for Consumer Safety (SCCS) has finalised safety opinions on Indigofera tinctorial for non-oxidative conditioning hair dyes, aluminium for antiperspirants and cosmetics and zinc pyrithione (ZPT) for anti-dandruff...
The European Commission has adopted its latest Circular Economy Action Plan for Europe; a necessary move but one that will prove challenging for the beauty industry, says Cosmetics Europe.
The European Commission’s Scientific Committee for Consumer Safety (SCCS) has published its final opinion on the safety of dihydroxyacetone (DHA) in hair colouring and cosmetic products, ruling it safe at specific concentrations.
Europe will do whatever it takes to unlock investment, innovation and creativity needed to push forward in becoming the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050, says European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
Preliminary opinions issued on the safety of dihydroxyacetone (DHA), aluminium compounds and zinc pyrithione (ZPT) from the European Commission’s Scientific Committee for Consumer Safety (SCCS) are open for comment.
Retailers have taken sustainable action across Europe in the last decade, and further collaborative work with the beauty and personal care sector will be critical in advancing efforts further, says the director-general of EuroCommerce.
Leading against single-use plastics, further slashing carbon emissions and building circular business models are some of the key goals outlined in the European Commission’s Green Deal.
![The European Commission (EC) is due to finalise its proposed ban on microplastics in cosmetics, with a 12-year transition period for certain nail, lip and makeup products [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2023/03/02/microplastics-in-cosmetics-eu-ban-must-be-faster-says-ngo-plastic-soup-foundation/16216495-2-eng-GB/Microplastics-in-cosmetics-EU-ban-must-be-faster-says-NGO-Plastic-Soup-Foundation.jpg)
![The open letter says the current microplastics ban proposal doesn't go far enough, with 'exceptionally long transition periods' for some categories, including leave-on nail products [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2023/02/20/beauty-industry-writes-open-letter-to-european-commission-calling-for-swifter-microplastics-ban-in-cosmetics/16184813-1-eng-GB/Beauty-industry-writes-open-letter-to-European-Commission-calling-for-swifter-microplastics-ban-in-cosmetics.jpg)
![Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAs), used across a range of industries from aerospace and cookware to textiles and cosmetics, are considered 'forever chemicals' that persist in the environment, contaminating ground water, soil, plants and even animals and humans [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2023/02/07/eu-pfas-ban-proposal-annex-xv-restriction-published-by-echa-set-to-go-to-european-commission/16149725-1-eng-GB/EU-PFAs-ban-proposal-Annex-XV-Restriction-published-by-ECHA-set-to-go-to-European-Commission.jpg)
![With more than 1.2 million validated votes across 22 European countries, no other European Citizens' Initiative has ever achieved this level of support [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2023/01/27/european-citizens-initiative-for-cruelty-free-cosmetics-hits-1.2-million-votes-and-will-reach-european-commission/16121654-1-eng-GB/European-Citizens-Initiative-for-cruelty-free-cosmetics-hits-1.2-million-votes-and-will-reach-European-Commission.jpg)
![Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAs), largely used in non-stick and water-resistant items like cookware and clothing, but also found in beauty and personal care products, were being increasingly detected as environmental pollutants in groundwater and soil [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2023/01/26/pfas-ban-in-european-union-proposed-by-five-national-authorities-to-be-evaluated-by-echa/16117178-1-eng-GB/PFAs-ban-in-European-Union-proposed-by-five-national-authorities-to-be-evaluated-by-ECHA.jpg)
![The European Commission often leads with ambitious and radical regulatory change, particularly on environmental issues [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2023/01/25/cosmetics-europe-talks-eu-cosmetics-regulation-reach-regulation-and-microplastics-restriction-updates/16115108-2-eng-GB/Cosmetics-Europe-talks-EU-Cosmetics-Regulation-REACH-Regulation-and-Microplastics-Restriction-updates.jpg)
![In 2023, two revised Directives on urban waste water treatment and packaging would become critical to follow closely, among other updates [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/headlines/regulation-safety/cosmetics-europe-director-general-discusses-unprecedented-2023-regulatory-change-for-beauty-personal-care/16107284-1-eng-GB/Cosmetics-Europe-director-general-discusses-unprecedented-2023-regulatory-change-for-beauty-personal-care.jpg)
![Consumers and retailers are demanding greater transparency and ways to prove product authenticity, green claims and wider supply chain stories [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2022/11/30/eu-digital-product-passports-good-for-green-beauty-future-says-map-emulsion-and-sorga-founder/15985130-1-eng-GB/EU-digital-product-passports-good-for-green-beauty-future-says-Map-Emulsion-and-SORGA-founder.jpg)
![The European Citizens' Initiative calling on the European Commission to protect and strengthen the existing EU animal testing ban on cosmetics closes on August 31, 2022 and Dove is calling for more EU consumers to sign [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2022/08/26/animal-testing-ban-cosmetics-eu-needs-protection-via-european-citizens-initiative-says-dove/15715020-1-eng-GB/Animal-testing-ban-cosmetics-EU-needs-protection-via-European-Citizens-Initiative-says-Dove.jpg)
![The assessed phytoestrogen substances Genistein and Daidzein are typically used in leave-on cosmetics for 'skin conditioning' benefits, particularly anti-ageing formulas [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2022/03/14/endocrine-disruptor-potential-of-genistein-and-daidzein-phytoestrogens-assessed-by-sccs/13320262-1-eng-GB/Endocrine-disruptor-potential-of-genistein-and-daidzein-phytoestrogens-assessed-by-SCCS.jpg)
![The fragrance industry will engage with the European Commission as policies and strategies are set out to achieve European Green Deal goals [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2022/02/14/european-green-deal-fragrance-industry-impact-and-future-policies-and-strategies/13238140-1-eng-GB/European-Green-Deal-fragrance-industry-impact-and-future-policies-and-strategies.jpg)
![Downstream users of chemicals, including beauty and personal care manufacturers, will start to face challenges if the chemical toolbox shrinks and a zero-tolerance approach is taken on non-compliance [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/12/15/european-green-deal-chemicals-strategy-for-sustainability-beauty-and-cosmetics-impact-significant/13097923-1-eng-GB/European-Green-Deal-Chemicals-Strategy-for-Sustainability-beauty-and-cosmetics-impact-significant.jpg)
![The European Commission has issued its fourth update to the regulation prohibiting and/or restricting carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction (CMR) chemicals in cosmetics [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/11/04/banned-cmr-substances-eu-cosmetics-regulation-update-by-european-commission/12982377-2-eng-GB/Banned-CMR-substances-EU-Cosmetics-Regulation-update-by-European-Commission.jpg)
![Kaffe Bueno plans to use most of the grant money to build a biorefinery in Denmark and advance soon-to-be launched upcycled coffee active ingredients targeting sun care, makeup, hair care and skin care [Image: Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/10/15/upcycled-coffee-startup-kaffe-bueno-awarded-2.5m-european-innovation-council-grant2/12930247-1-eng-GB/Upcycled-coffee-startup-Kaffe-Bueno-awarded-2.5m-European-Innovation-Council-grant.jpg)
![The OECD guideline outlines defined approaches for skin sensitisation assessment using in silico (computer simulation) methods and wider application under REACH will advance use of non-animal test methods, according to ECHA [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/10/13/echa-advice-on-oecd-non-animal-skin-sensitisation-assessment-to-help-apply-under-eu-reach-regulation/12922059-1-eng-GB/ECHA-advice-on-OECD-non-animal-skin-sensitisation-assessment-to-help-apply-under-EU-REACH-regulation.jpg)
![MEPs have adopted a resolution vote that will add political pressure to the European Commission to respond, proving important for the cosmetic industry's fight to uphold its existing EU animal testing ban [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/09/16/european-parliament-adopts-resolution-vote-for-european-commission-action-to-end-eu-animal-testing/12827328-2-eng-GB/European-Parliament-adopts-resolution-vote-for-European-Commission-action-to-end-EU-animal-testing.jpg)
![Innovation to develop new safe and sustainable chemicals will receive public EU funding via the region's Horizon programme but also other channels, including private investment [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/07/02/european-green-deal-chemicals-strategy-for-sustainability-will-receive-horizon-funding-for-chemicals-innovation/12615522-1-eng-GB/European-Green-Deal-Chemicals-Strategy-for-Sustainability-will-receive-Horizon-funding-for-chemicals-innovation.jpg)
![The European Commission is embarking on an overview of current legislations and practices in place in cosmetics, with some revisions planned, but there will be no significant changes made right now to the governing EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/06/30/european-commission-will-not-majorly-overhaul-cosmetics-regulation-under-european-green-deal/12608179-1-eng-GB/European-Commission-will-not-majorly-overhaul-Cosmetics-Regulation-under-European-Green-Deal.jpg)
