The past few months show that EU chemicals legislation is not just a series of bans.
It is also a time when science, common sense and industry dialogue deliver tangible results. We’ve selected a handful of positive signals from the flood of recent legislative developments.
🍸 Ethanol – more time!
Greece has postponed the deadline for submitting the CLH dossier until 31 December 2026. The industry has gained two additional years to demonstrate that CMR classification for ethanol (based on oral exposure) should not apply to cosmetic use. Dermal penetration studies and PBPK modelling are ongoing.
Industry joke? “Ethanol heats things up—but not legislation.”
🌞 Titanium dioxide – the end of a myth?
The Court of Justice of the EU annulled the classification of TiO₂ as carcinogenic (via inhalation). The result: removal of the entry from CLP and a clear signal that classifications must be based on robust scientific evidence. For cosmetics, this is particularly important for colourants and UV filters.
🧴 Microplastics – IT to the rescue
ECHA has launched a microplastics reporting portal in REACH-IT. For the first time, instead of a ban, we’re getting a tool.
Of course, the industry is joking that soon—besides formulators and safety assessors—we’ll also need IT support for compliance… but we’ve got solutions for that too.
👉 Check out our tools that make compliance easier: https://cosmetosafeassist.pl/
🧴 Methylparaben – 13 years of research and… no evidence of ED
On 8 October, France withdrew its intention to submit a harmonised classification for Methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate as an endocrine disruptor (ED HH 1). The CLH procedure ended at the intention stage—without a dossier or a RAC opinion.
Methylparaben is one of the most extensively studied substances in cosmetics and once again its safety has been confirmed—even under increasingly strict ED criteria. After years of analyses and procedures (the first classification intention dates back to 2012), no endocrine-disrupting effects have been demonstrated.
Moreover, the SCCS has repeatedly confirmed the safety of parabens in cosmetics (in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2023) at currently permitted concentrations.
Despite this, parabens still suffer from an undeserved reputation among consumers.
Will the withdrawal of the classification intention finally be a strong enough signal for the industry to consider a long-overdue PR rehabilitation?
🔬 Oxybenzone – under the ED spotlight
Oxybenzone (Benzophenone-3), a widely used UV filter: Denmark has submitted an intention to classify it as an endocrine disruptor affecting human health and the environment (ED HH 1 + ED ENV 1).
This could become the first formal CLP endocrine disruptor classification of a UV filter. It’s worth remembering that globally, oxybenzone has long been on “blacklists” in places such as Hawaii, California and Thailand, mainly due to concerns about coral reef protection.
🌊 Uvinul T 150 – improved environmental profile
Ethylhexyl Triazone has received a positive RAC decision: the H413 classification (“Aquatic Chronic 4”) has been removed.
This means no “hazardous to the aquatic environment” labelling and better prospects for EU Ecolabel. For companies, it also means consistency—no more discrepancies between SDS classifications and actual data.
🧪 1,4-Dioxane – Germany steps back
Germany has withdrawn its proposal to restrict 1,4-dioxane residues in surfactants. The procedure was stopped at the intention stage, as a more in-depth analysis of environmental emissions is required.
Good news for the cosmetics industry: in cosmetics, 1,4-dioxane is only permitted as a technically unavoidable impurity (up to 10 ppm according to SCCS).
That said—the topic may return, so let’s keep a close eye on it.
⏱️ “Stop the Clock” and CPR amendments – what’s next?
Finally, one more fresh signal from Brussels. The EU Council has approved the “Stop the Clock” mechanism, aimed at providing greater legal certainty for businesses when new CLP classifications could otherwise instantly block hundreds of cosmetic formulations.
We covered this in more detail here:
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7378723361826242560/
🔗 As you can see, legislation is a marathon—not a sprint.
And we’ve just received a few positive pit stops along the way—let’s hope there are more to come 😊
