The Impact of Cosmetic Products on the Environment by Dr. Goya Análisis

14 March 2024

Felipe Goñi

Biotechnology Researcher

Current context

Cosmetic products play a pivotal role in our daily lives, contributing not only to our physical appearance but also to our overall well-being and self-esteem. Moreover, cosmetic products often incorporate skincare elements that contribute to the health and vitality of the skin. Moisturizers, sunscreens, and specialized treatments address various skin concerns, promoting a radiant complexion and preventing damage caused by environmental factors. These products serve as a form of protection, enhancing the skin’s resilience against external stressors.

According to the National Association of Perfumery and Cosmetics, STANPA, a person uses on average between 7 and 9 cosmetic products daily in Spain. But these products, designed and used to provide us with physical and mental well-being, may have a dark side that most users do not take into account.

The INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) list includes more than 16,000 ingredients used in cosmetics and in personal care products around the world. Although some ingredients are natural, many of them are synthetic compounds, which may have harmful effects on human health and the environment at high doses.

Many of these products are for topical use, and may be released into the environment after washing, showering or bathing. Current wastewater treatment plant treatments may degrade or eliminate part of these compounds, but others may resist to conventional treatments remaining in the environment. In this way, these ingredients may end up in soils, rivers, lakes or seas, affecting the organisms present in these environments.

Artemia

In the case of the ocean, products such as sunscreens may have a great impact on marine life. When bathing, sunscreen compounds are progressively released into the water becoming bioavailable to living organisms. It is estimated that each year about 14,000 tons of sunscreen end up in the ocean.

Some chemicals such as oxybenzone, octinoxate or octocrylene, present in sunscreen formulations, are highly toxic affecting the embryonic development of many marine organisms – from corals to fish.

For this reason, the use of these chemical ingredients has been banned in some places such as Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, or some tourist areas of Mexico, due to their harmful effects on marine corals.

In the European Union, Regulation 2022/1176 published in 2022, limits the concentration of certain compounds in sunscreens due to their potential endocrine disrupting properties, which may translate into reproductive impairment, carcinogenesis or metabolic alterations.

Microalgae

Assessment of the ecotoxicological potential of cosmetic products – regulatory requirements

Since 1992, the European Union has implemented the European Ecological Label (Ecolabel), that award products that demonstrate a reduced environmental impact. Its legal basis is Regulation 66/2010, which establishes the general bases and criteria for a product to receive the ecological label. The Ecolabel applies to different types of products such as cleaning products, gardening, home accessories, clothing, etc.

In 2014, by Decision 2014/893, the criteria for granting the Ecolabel to rinse-off cosmetic products defined according to Article 2 of Regulation 1223/2009 were established. Later, this decision was repealed by Decision 2021/1870, which now includes both rinse-off and leave-on cosmetic products in addition to animal care cosmetic products (e.g. shampoos and conditioners). According to Decision 2021/1870, and in accordance with Regulation 66/2010, the EEE is granted to products with reduced environmental impact throughout their life cycle, from production and use to disposal. According to Decision 2021/1870, the criteria for granting the EEA to cosmetic products are the following:

toxicity to aquatic organisms: critical dilution volume (CDV) of products that require rinsing; Both the calculation and the limits of the total CDV of the product are detailed in Decision 2021/1870;
biodegradability of products that require rinsing;
aquatic toxicity and biodegradability of products that do not require rinsing;
excluded and restricted substances;
packaging;
sustainable sources of palm oil, palm kernel oil and their derivatives;
suitability for use;
information on the EU Ecolabel;

For the verification of the biodegradability of products that require rinsing, Decision 2021/1870 indicates the following methods to carry out biodegradability tests: OECD TG 301 A-F (Ready Biodegradability), OECD TG 302 A-C (Inherent Biodegradability) and OECD 311 (Anaerobic Biodegradability of Organic Compounds in Digested Sludge: by Measurement of Gas Production). In addition to biodegradability, Decision 2021/1870 also indicates the following methods to carry out bioaccumulation tests: OECD TG 107 (Partition Coefficient (n-octanol/water): Shake Flask Method) and OECD TG 117 (Partition Coefficient (n- octanol/water), HPLC Method).

For the verification of acute aquatic toxicity, Decision 2021/1870 indicates that the methods OECD TG 201 (Freshwater Alga and Cyanobacteria, Growth Inhibition Test), OECD TG 202 (Daphnia sp. Acute Immobilization Test) and OECD TG 203 (*) (Fish, Acute Toxicity Test). For verification of chronic aquatic toxicity, test methods OECD TG 210 (*) (Fish, Early-life Stage Toxicity Test), OECD TG 211 (Daphnia magna Reproduction Test), OECD TG 215 (*) (Fish, Juvenile Growth Test) and OECD TG 229 (*) (Fish Short Term Reproduction Assay) of the OECD guideline on chemical testing. Alternatively, the OECD TG 201 method could also be used as a chronic toxicity assay if chronic endpoints are chosen.

(*) The Commission has prohibited animal testing of ingredients in cosmetic products since March 2009. However, to determine aquatic toxicity, the ban only applies to testing on fish (it does not include invertebrates). Thus, test methods OECD TG 203 (acute toxicity, fish), OECD TG 210, OECD TG 215 and OECD TG 229 (chronic toxicity, fish) are not used to document acute/chronic toxicity. However, the results of acute/chronic toxicity tests on fish obtained before March 2009 may continue to be used.

The protection of the environment is a present concern for both manufacturers and users of cosmetic products. This growing awareness, along with the development of different regulatory standards, makes essential to ensure that these products are safe for the environment and for the organisms that inhabit it. Ecotoxicity tests, based on standardized protocols, are the necessary tool for this purpose, being able to predict the environmental impact of a product before it is released into the environment.