Products placed on the European market must adhere to strict testing and guidelines, however the independent organisation claims that a quarter of body lotions and one in three hand soaps it tested contained either allergenic preservatives or substances suspected of being EDCs.
Having tested 54 body lotions, the Danish Consumer Council (DCC) says: “The test shows that every fourth body lotion contains unwanted chemicals in the form of suspected endocrine disruptors or allergenic preservatives. In addition, many perfumes, which may also cause allergies.”
“Testing of hand soaps shows that every third contains problematic substances. Particularly striking is the discovery of the suspected endocrine disruptor triclosan and preservatives MCI and MI,” it says of its second study in which 76 soaps were tested.
In Europe, the cosmetics industry is governed by the European Union’s (EU) Cosmetics Directive, which protects consumers by ensuring that all cosmetic products on the European market are safe.
The Directive requires cosmetics to cause no damage to human health when applied under either normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use.
Findings
Conducting two separate surveys on the two product types, the DCC says that 11 of the body lotions that it tested contained suspected EDCs, including parabens, BHT, and cyclopentasiloxane.
However, as these particular substances are not actually prohibited from use, the DCC recommends that consumers avoid them if they can.
When it comes to cyclopentasiloxane, which is mainly used as a conditioner, lubricant and solvent, the ingredient’s material safety data sheet says it may cause mild skin and eye irritation.
The latest opinion published earlier this year deems the substance safe for certain uses; however not in body lotions and hair styling formulations, and in products that can give rise to lung exposure through inhalation, such as aerosols, pressurised sprays and powders.
“Now there are several reasons why cyclopentasiloxane should not be used in for example body lotion,” says Christel Soegaard Kirkeby, project manager in the Consumer Council Think Chemistry.
“In part scientists have suspicions that the substance is endocrine disrupting, and in part the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety does not consider the substance to be safe due to the risk of damage to the liver.”
In the hand soap study, the DCC claims that four of the soaps tested were found to contain suspected EDCs.