It recommends that Council of Europe member states implement measures to reduce health risks arising from exposure of infants to cosmetic products and their ingredients.
A variety of cosmetic products are used on infants from an early age, such as baby skin creams, bath lotions and shampoos, sunscreens, toothpaste and many other products.
“Cosmetics must be safe, especially considering that these products are frequently ‘leave-on’ type products (i.e. products that are not rinsed off) and may be applied several times a day,” says an EDQM statement.
“Some products may also be ingested due to specific behaviours like licking or sucking of hands, arms and feet. Importantly, young children are often more sensitive to certain toxic effects.”
The EU Cosmetic Products Regulation, Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009, pays particular attention to protecting the health of vulnerable population groups and recommends that a specific assessment be carried out for cosmetic products intended for use on children under the age of three.
However, further instructions on how to proceed are not given in this Regulation.
Guidance and support
According to the EDQM and Council of Europe announcement, to provide guidance and support to manufacturers and safety assessors, national experts from competent authorities have compiled a set of safety criteria for cosmetic formulations that should be taken into account when placing a product on the market.
In particular, they should ensure that toxic ingredients, potent allergens or substances with endocrine-disrupting activity are not present and that preservatives are used at their lowest effective concentrations.
These measures supplement the current EU Regulation and Council of Europe member states that are not members of the European Union may also benefit from this practical guide, according to EDQM.
The full resolution can be seen here