New York State Restricts 1,4-Dioxane in Cosmetics, Personal Care & Household Products

Top Quote New York State in the US introduces restrictions on the use of 1, 4-Dioxane in cosmetics, personal care products, and household products. End Quote
  • (1888PressRelease) January 01, 2020 - On December 9, 2019, the New York State Governor, Andrew Cuomo, signed into law a bill restricting the use of 1,4-Dioxane in a variety of cosmetic, personal care and household products.

    The bill, S.4389-B/A.6295-A, brings into law two effective dates for the restrictions:

    • January 1, 2022:
    o Cosmetics: ≤ 10 ppm
    o Personal Care Products: ≤ 2 ppm
    o Household Cleansing Products: ≤ 2 ppm
    • January 1, 2023:
    o Personal Care Products: ≤ 1 ppm
    o Household Cleansing Products: ≤ 1 ppm

    Stakeholders should recognize the limit for cosmetics remains at ≤ 10 ppm.

    The appearance of 1,4-Dioxane is cosmetic, personal care and household products is currently being reevaluated in many territories, see SafeGuard 178/19 for the recent changes to ASEAN guidelines.

    1,4-Dioxane is a by-product from the manufacture of surfactants, specifically ethoxylated surfactants. It is listed in California’s Prop 65 list as a chemical known to cause cancer and the California Division of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) recently identified it as a candidate chemical that may warrant further research. If 1,4-Dioxane is selected as a priority chemical, manufacturers would need to alert the DTSC of its presence in products, regardless of level. They would also need to submit an analysis of possible alternatives and indicate they intentions surrounding the chemical and its use.

    Conversely, in June 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a draft risk assessment that claimed that current measures were sufficient to adequately assess and effectively manage risk associated with 1,4-Dioxane. These included the:
    • Clean Air Act
    • Safe Drinking Water Act
    • Clean Water Act
    • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

    The New York State law retains a definition of cosmetics that is consistent with the Federal Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) definition. This is to include, any article intended:
    • To be rubbed, sprinkled, or sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body or any part thereof for beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance, and…
    • For use as a component of any such article

    The definition of personal care product includes any product intended for cleaning or cleansing any part of the body, e.g. skin and hair. This means it includes, inter alia, hair shampoo, hair conditioner, soap, bath gels and other bath products. It does not include products that require prescription.

    Finally, the definition of household cleaning products stays the same as § 35-0103 of the Environmental Conservation Law. This means it includes, inter alia, soaps and detergents containing a surfactant as a wetting or dirt emulsifying agent and used primarily for domestic or commercial cleaning purposes. This includes products for cleaning fabrics, dishes, food utensils and household and commercial premises. It does not include disinfectant products regulated under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.

    SGS Cosmetics & Personal Care Testing Services
    SGS provides testing, inspection, auditing and consulting services to manufacturers, distributors and importers to ensure a high level of product quality in every area. A global network of state-of-the-art laboratories offer custom-made solutions for chemical, biophysical, microbiological, stability and biological aspects. Learn more about SGS’s Cosmetics & Personal Care Testing Services. (www.sgs.com/en/consumer-goods-retail/cosmetics-personal-care-and-household/cosmetics-and-personal-care/testing)

    SGS SafeGuardS keep you up to date with the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full New York State Governor Signs 1,4-Dioxane Bill Restricting Its Use in Household Products SafeGuardS. [www.sgs.com/en/news/2019/12/safeguards-18219-new-york-state-governor-signs-1-4-dioxane-bill-restricting-its-use-in-household-products]

    Subscribe here, www.sgs.com/subscribesg, to receive SGS SafeGuardS direct to your inbox.

    For further information contact:
    Joseph Scognamiglio
    Technical Manager
    Tel: 1-973-461-7937
    Email: crs.media ( @ ) sgs dot com
    Website: www.sgs.com/cpch
    LinkedIn: sgs-consumer-goods-&-retail

    About SGS
    SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 97,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world.

    ###
space
space
  • FB Icon Twitter Icon In-Icon
Contact Information