SCCS publishes 8th version of guidance document
The “Notes of Guidance for Testing of Cosmetic Ingredients and Their Safety Evaluation by the SCCS” provides support to public authorities and the cosmetic industry in an effort, the SCCS says, to improve harmonised compliance with actual cosmetic EU legislation.
The document is regularly revised and updated by the SCCS in order to incorporate the progress of science in the field of testing and safety evaluation of cosmetic ingredients.
"When major deviations from standardised protocols / procedures in the safety evaluation process occur, a scientific justification is essential."
Revised edition
This current revised document particularly highlights that the 2009 legislative has been recast which transforms the cosmetic Directive 76/768/EEC1 into a Regulation.
“It must be emphasised that from 11 July 2013 onwards this Regulation (2009/1223/EC2) is fully applicable.”
In the meantime, the Committee says Directive 76/768/EEC with the 6th (Directive 93/35/EEC3) and 7th (Directive 2003/15/EC4) amendments may still be applied.
Elsewhere, the adoption of several other new opinions since the last guidance document are also outlined such as attempts being made to incorporate some standardised procedures, exposure patterns, and formulation types.
However, the SCCS reminds that the safety evaluation of cosmetic substances and products remains a scientific exercise that can only be performed on a case-by-case basis.
Amongst others highlighted in the Notes of Guidance, are the Committee's newest opinions on fragrance allergens and hair dye pigments and colourants, which have been particular areas of interest for the industry in the last year.
Finally, toxicological test procedures are included in the document, which encloses the basic procedures needed to evaluate different human health-related toxicological endpoints and are internationally accepted as being the result of long-term scientific agreement. The procedures to be followed for chemical substances include in vivo animal models and a limited number of in vitro models.
To fully view the document containing the revised guidelines, please see here.
