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According to experts, this concerns products sold throughout Europe.
The team from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), based in Helsinki, examined nearly 4,500 cosmetic products across 13 European countries. It turns out that 6 percent of the tested products (or 285 items) contain substances banned due to their harmful effects on health.
The agency stated that these chemicals were found in products from “various sellers and across all price ranges.” Among the items containing hazardous chemicals are eyeliners, lip pencils, conditioners, and hair masks.
According to ECHA experts, the identified compounds are prohibited under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, as well as EU legislation. Exposure to these substances can, among other things, reduce fertility and increase the risk of cancer, as reported by Science Alert.
ECHA noted that experts focused primarily on the ingredient lists of the products. Therefore, the agency pointed out that consumers can also conduct such checks.
As a result of the inspections, “regulatory authorities took action to remove non-compliant products from the market.”
The countries where cosmetic inspections were conducted include Austria, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Romania, and Sweden.
