Here's our round up of the key updates you need to know.
Safety & transparency
1. Baby care spotlight: ingredients transparency builds consumer confidence
In what it describes as a 'groundbreaking' move, Johnson’s Baby from Johnson & Johnson has begun disclosing 100% of the ingredients in its baby products.
The move follows international interest in the successful court cases brought against Johnson & Johnson across North America (US and Canada) around allegations that its talcum powder product caused ovarian cancer.
Find our full report here.
2. Kanebo agrees to pay more damages for skin-whitening lawsuit
Almost 20,000 women have been affected by defective Kanebo whitening products sold between 2008 and 2013.
Kanebo has announced it has settled with 44 more women who were affected. Discover the full details here.
3. Sun care data shows consumer confusion remains high
Mintel suggests as many as 40% of UK consumers struggle to know what is the best type of sun care to use.
This is despite the fact that sun damage is picked out by consumers as the key factor perceived to impact the appearance of skin.
Read the full details of the latest data here.
Animal testing
More markets are looking at banning the testing of cosmetics products on animals.
California has recently become the first US state to adopt a ban, and Colombia looking likely to become the first Latin American country to implement a ban.
Against this backdrop, it’s ever more pressing for the industry to innovate with testing alternatives. One recent update in this area is the new partnership between BASF and Givaudan.
With the Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS), the two major ingredients players are working to validate an improved skin sensitization reactivity method to address the needs of toxicologists and regulators.
Naturals labelling
How best to provide consumers with a meaningful accreditation system for naturals remains an undecided issue within the industry.
Find our exclusive recent interview with the Soil Association on this topic, looking at the COSMOS certification scheme it participates in awarding.
The scheme is evolving this year to include a new focus on palm oil products.
Nano UV filter
Finally, it’s good news for sun care formulations.
The European Commission has amended the Cosmetic Regulation to include a nano UV filter now approved for use in cosmetics products.
The change sees the official entry of Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol (MBBT) as a nano-sized UV filter into Annex VI of the EU Cosmetic Regulation. Discover our full report here.
