We support cosmetic companies in understanding and complying with the European Union Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2055 amending Annex XVII to REACH Regulation to regulate synthetic polymer microparticles also called “microplastics”.
ECHA’s Restriction for the Ban of Microplastics
As part of its plastics strategy and sustainable development goals, the European Commission (EC) asked the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to propose a restriction for intentionally added microplastics used in products that are placed on the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) market. On 27 September 2023, the EU REACH regulation on microplastics was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The regulation aims to ban microplastics in products such as cosmetics, detergents, fertilizers, and more.
Intertek Solutions
Intertek provides a comprehensive range of services for beauty and personal care products to ensure quality, safety, and efficacy, in addition to helping companies understand and comply with regulations around the world. With its comprehensive service offering, Intertek is uniquely positioned to ensure companies understand regulatory changes and meet the necessary requirements to continue importing products to the EU and other key markets such as North America and Asia.
Our experts can conduct microplastic evaluations of your ingredients and help you understand the impact this new regulation may have on your products.
Our services include:
- Impact assessment of your products/raw materials portfolio
- Information collection from suppliers of ingredients for microplastics evaluations
- Documentary analysis
- Optimal monitoring of the project (reminders, monitoring of the completeness of files, etc.)
- Regulatory support (monitoring of derogation cases, etc.)
To ensure successful market entry into the EU, cosmetic businesses should be aware of for the microplastics restriction to ensure their cosmetic product formulas are compliant.
Our team of experts are available to address the regulatory and compliance needs of the cosmetics, home, and personal care industry. If you have any questions or concerns, we’re here to help!
More information about the Microplastics Regulation 2023/2055
A microplastic can be defined as a solid polymer containing particles with dimensions less than 5 mm, to which additives or other substances may have been added*. The regulation 2023/2055 bans the placing on the market of microplastic substances on their own or, where the synthetic polymer microparticles are present to confer a sought-after characteristic, in mixtures in a concentration equal to or greater than 0,01 % by weight. For the cosmetics industry, exemption cases precise this definition and allow to place on the market exempted substances.
The regulation mentions some derogation cases in order to allow the placing on the market some ingredients defined as microplastics. In those cases, reporting and labelling are required.
This new regulation will impact cosmetic manufacturers/downstream users and distributors, as they will need to comply by the transition periods outlined below:
- from October 17, 2023, for microbeads (exfoliating, polishing, or cleansing use)
- from October 17, 2027, for rinsed products
- from October 17, 2029, for non-rinsed products
- from October 17, 2035, for make-up, lipsticks, and nail polishes
*Definition is available on site de l’ECHA
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