From ‘Clean’ to ‘Safe’ Cosmetics: How EU/UK Regulations Can Shift the Parlance Toward Health via Cosmetics & Toiletries

Cosmetics and personal care, as part of the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry, thrive on innovation and trends.

Innovation trends may be based on technologies, e.g., a new method of emulsification, novel active delivery system, etc., or consumer conceptions and social movements.
Many industry trends stem from consumer movements. A good example is the demand for natural cosmetics, meaning those based on naturally derived ingredients, as initially these were perceived to be safer. This started around 1960 but has changed more recently to clean or green beauty, for which definitions vary.

One behavioral study1 based on Google trends analyzed U.S. data across a span of 189 months from 2004 to 2019. This revealed a direct correlation between searches for clean and green beauty; it also suggested a driver for this trend is growing consumer concern over cosmetic ingredients—particularly endocrine disruptors.

This article outlines how regulators in the EU and UK have put measures into place to assure consumers of product safety, particularly relating to endocrine disruptors. It also considers how these measures, including the Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR), can provide formulators guidance on creating safer, “healthier” products. Finally, it proposes using the CPSR to communicate to consumers the extent to which products are tested to shift the parlance from “clean” to “safe.”