Comments

• Perry Administrator, Professional Chemist

  December 2018

  Here is the safety report on parabens from the CIR.
  
  The EU limits it to 0.4% in a product according to this short document they produced.
  https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/docs/citizens_parabens_en.pdf
  

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• Doreen Member

  December 2018 edited December 2018

  @Perry
  Thank you!
  How and where can I find what the most recent conclusions are? (the document about parabens for example is from 1984)
• Perry Administrator, Professional Chemist

  December 2018

  This one is an updated one from 2017.
  
  https://www.cir-safety.org/sites/default/files/paraben_web.pdf
  
  It's pretty dense. On page 66 there is a table that lists the historical use levels of the ingredient in different applications. Dermal contact up to 0.4%, mucous membrane up to 0.3%. 
  
  The CIR / FDA does not actually make recommendations though. They look at how the ingredient is being used and then say whether that level is safe. The EU is more prescriptive about allowable levels.
  
  The SCCS opinion from 2011... "Based upon the above, the SCCS considers the use of butylparaben and propylparaben as preservatives in finished cosmetic products as safe to the consumer, as long as the sum of their individual concentrations does not exceed 0.19%."
  
  https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/consumer_safety/docs/sccs_o_041.pdf 
  
  They reiterated their conclusion of safety in 2013.
  http://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/consumer_safety/docs/sccs_o_132.pdf
  
  Oh and on Allantoin...it was found safe for use up to 2%
  https://www.dropbox.com/s/5jkz8vzgvy5keut/allantoin-safety-data.pdf?dl=0
  

  Learn to formulate cosmetics
• Doreen Member

  December 2018

  @Perry
  Thank you so much for all this information! Very valuable!