HELSINKI: The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) said on Wednesday that it had found hazardous and banned chemicals in hundreds of cosmetic products sold across Europe.

The Helsinki-based agency has inspected almost 4,500 cosmetic products in 13 European countries and found that six per cent of the products — or 285 products — contained substances banned due to their detrimental effects on health.

The chemicals were found in products “from various sellers and at all price ranges” during controls between Nov 2023 and April 2024, the agency said in a statement. Products containing the hazardous chemicals included eyeliners, lip-liners, conditioners and hair masks.

The substances found are banned under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants as well as under EU-law and exposure to them may reduce fertility and increase risks of cancer, the agencies said.

According to ECHA, the inspections had been conducted primarily by controlling the products’ list of ingredients products, and the agency noted that the control measure “can be easily used also by consumers”.

After the inspections “enforcement authorities have taken measures to remove the non-compliant products from the market”, the ECHA said.

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2024