The EU agency says dangerous and banned chemicals appear in hundreds of cosmetic products

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) said on Wednesday it has found dangerous and banned chemicals in hundreds of cosmetic products sold across Europe.

The Helsinki-based agency inspected nearly 4,500 cosmetic products in 13 European countries and found that six percent of the products (or 285 products) contained substances banned for their harmful effects on health.

The chemicals were found in products “from different sellers and in all price ranges” during checks between November 2023 and April 2024, the agency said in a statement.

Products containing the dangerous chemicals included eyeliners, lip liners, conditioners and hair masks.

The substances detected are banned under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and under EU law. Exposure to it can reduce fertility and increase the risk of cancer, the authorities said.

According to ECHA, the inspections were mainly carried out by checking the products’ list of ingredients, and the agency noted that the control measure “can also be easily used by consumers”.

Following the inspections, “enforcement authorities took action to withdraw the non-compliant products from the market,” ECHA said.

The countries where checks were carried out were Austria, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Romania and Sweden.

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