Harmful chemicals in cosmetics: EU decides to weaken consumer protection

Today, EU lawmakers agreed to weaken consumer safeguards against harmful chemicals in cosmetics. With this agreement to simplify EU chemicals rules, companies will benefit from longer timelines to remove cosmetic products containing ingredients that may cause cancer, gene mutations or harm reproductive health from the market. These extended timelines will inevitably decrease consumer protection, and could results in avoidable health risks, for example in situations where the EU’s scientific advisors cannot confirm the safety of these ingredients.

Agustín Reyna, Director General of BEUC, commented:

“Sadly, this deal means that toothpastes, deodorants, or lipstick containing toxic ingredients will stay longer in consumers’ homes. This is bad news knowing that more than four in five EU consumers worry about the impact of harmful chemicals on their health and the environment. The silver lining is that EU institutions have managed to avoid the worst, since the final deal drops the original proposal’s most problematic points.”

Background:

• The Commission’s proposal included 57-month (nearly five years) timelines to remove products containing harmful chemicals instead of 18 months today. EU institutions instead agreed a tree-tiered approach with shorter deadlines but still longer than today. 
• MEPs and Member States also dropped a controversial proposal that would have exempted CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic) substances based on oral or inhalation exposure from an automatic ban.
• European Commission rolls back consumer protection against harmful chemicals in cosmetics – press release, July 2025