Three products analyzed by the Organization of Consumers and Users contain traces of nickel and formaldehyde in “excessive amounts”.
European laws prohibit the intentional presence of nickel and formaldehyde in cosmetic products, but their presence in traces, in trace amounts, is allowed. Nickel is a metal that can trigger irritations and allergies, and formaldehyde is a compound classified as carcinogenic by the World Health Organization. An analysis by the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) has discovered these two elements dangerous to health in three products of the 14 tested.
THESE ARE THE THREE MASCARAS THAT CONTAIN TOXINS
Products containing nickel or formaldehyde, according to the OCU, are:
- Maxfactor Divine Lashes, nickel in the amount of 8 ppm (parts per million)
- Deliplus Maxi Volume, from Mercadona, nickel at 6 ppm.
- Chanel Le Volume, formaldehyde at 12 ppm.
In the opinion of the OCU, these amounts are excessive and therefore has requested the intervention of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS). The consumer organization warns that these products should not be used daily and should be avoided in case of suffering from a sensitivity or allergy.
On the other hand, the OCU also warns that 7 of the 14 masks analyzed are sold without sealing, which poses a risk in a product that is applied very close to the eye.
In addition, many of these products are sold with double packaging (the product’s own and a cardboard box) which represents a waste of resources. And in some cases, it is not possible to take advantage of the entire content due to poor packaging design.
WHY ARE TOXINS SUCH AS NICKEL AND FORMALDEHYDE FOUND IN COSMETICS?
Nickel is an impurity usually found in pigments of mineral origin used in mascara.
Formaldehyde is released by breaking down ingredients that contain it, such as the authorized preservatives DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, and diazolidinyl urea, commonly used in conventional cosmetic products.
Although nickel and formaldehyde are prohibited as such in cosmetics due to their dangerousness, the regulations tolerate traces when they are due to the technical impossibility of eliminating them completely or when they appear inadvertently in the product.
According to the most recent regulation approved by the European Commission (Regulation (EU) 2022/1181), since July 2022, the maximum threshold “allowed” as an unintentional trace for formaldehyde is 0.001% of the product, or what is the same, 10 parts per million. If this amount is exceeded, the product must indicate on the label “releases formaldehyde”.
Brands must ensure that the products marketed comply with this regulation, although they may abide by the previous rule with an upper limit (0.05% of the product) until July 2026.
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO AVOID THESE TOXINS IN COSMETICS?
It is not possible to perform an analysis on the products we purchase. Therefore, the only way to avoid these toxins as much as possible is to choose certified natural cosmetics that essentially use plant raw materials.
Preservatives that can release formaldehyde are prohibited by certifying regulations such as Ecocert, BDIH, Nature, Cosmos, AIAB etc.
