The Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) provides guidance to public authorities and the cosmetic industry to ensure compliance with the current cosmetic EU legislation (EC No 1223/2009), in regard to safety assessment of nanomaterials intended for use as cosmetic ingredients.
Nanomaterials as cosmetic ingredients may have various functions, such as UV filters in sunscreens, preservatives or pigments, etc. The use of nanomaterials in cosmetics may bring certain benefits to the consumer. However, the same nanoscale features of a nanomaterial that give a cosmetic product useful properties, might also pose a risk to the consumer. This requires a thorough safety evaluation of any nanomaterial that is intended for use as a cosmetic ingredient, in the same way as other ingredients, but with special considerations to nano-features (e.g. extremely small size).
In Europe, safety assessment of regulated categories of chemical ingredients is mandatory before they can be used in a cosmetic product, including those ingredients that are in the form of nanomaterial. It is also necessary for a manufacturer to notify the use of other nanomaterial ingredients to the European Commission prior to placing the cosmetic product on the market, and provide specific information as laid down in article 16 of the Cosmetic Regulation. If the European Commission has concerns regarding the safety of a nanomaterial, it is referred to the SCCS for a scientific opinion. In addition to this oversight on risk assessment, the SCCS also provides guidance on the requirements for safety evaluation of nanomaterials intended for use as cosmetic ingredients.
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