Europe Bans 1,000+ Ingredients. The US?
The EU vs US ingredient gap is real, but it's not quite what the headlines say.
Transcript
Europe bans over a thousand ingredients. The US? About a dozen. The EU requires a safety assessment before sale. The US has no premarket review. But many banned substances were never used in cosmetics anyway. The gap is real, just smaller. We don't wait for the rules. We simply leave the harsh stuff out. Nothing harsh. Ever.
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US vs EU Cosmetic Rules: Why Europe Restricts More Ingredients
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Key points from the full guide
- The EU regulates cosmetics under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, which prohibits well over a thousand substances and keeps approved lists for preservatives, colorants, and UV filters.
- The FDA prohibits or restricts only about a dozen substances by regulation, though selling a harmful cosmetic is illegal in both places.
- The EU requires a documented safety assessment by a qualified professional before a product is sold; the US does not require premarket review.
- Many substances on the EU list were never used in cosmetics, so the gap is real but smaller than the raw numbers suggest.
- Sunscreens are cosmetics in the EU and drugs in the US, which is why Europe has more UV filters available.
Read the full guide: US vs EU Cosmetic Rules: Why Europe Restricts More Ingredients