In a report presented to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) under the REACH regulation, French authorities have requested that the European Union place limits on octocrylene within beauty products, mentioning its detrimental effects on the ecosystem.
France is urging the European Union to significantly curtail the employment of octocrylene, a widespread UV absorbent present in sunblock and various beauty items, by the year 2027. Based on information gathered by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) and communicated to ECHA, this sun protection ingredient poses risks to the surroundings and can be readily substituted at a manageable expense.
“Each year, over 1,500 metric tons of octocrylene are utilized in beauty products across Europe,” causing pollution of aquatic ecosystems and lands, which results in “unacceptable hazards” for “the procreation and expansion of aquatic species” (shrimp, fish, algae) and “land-based” organisms, according to ANSES.
Releases into the environment
This substance, featured as a “UV filter, UV absorber, and photostabilizer” in approximately 30% of sun protection products and other cosmetic items, like makeup, face creams, and fragrances, “ultimately ends up in household wastewater,” contaminates ground through “sludge from sewage treatment,” and “taints lakes, rivers, and coastal waters during swimming activities,” the Agency cautions.
Aside from its consequences for aquatic life, this compound builds up in substantial quantities and remains in the environment for prolonged periods, generating apprehension for human wellness. As per ANSES, it might have harmful impacts on the thyroid gland and reproduction. The agency also indicates that octocrylene could act as an endocrine disruptor, yet manufacturers failed to supply the requisite data to assess this hazard promptly.
ANSES, having scrutinized the substance since 2012, expressed in 2023 that its incorporation in cosmetics should be forbidden.
Although “considerable amounts are detected in sunscreens,” with a highest concentration of 10% permitted by European standards, “there exist various avenues for releases into the environment” depending on “the product types and sales volumes,” Stéphane Jomini, scientific project lead at ANSES, conveyed to AFP.
Representing France, ANSES has presented a proposition to “substantially decrease” the permissible amounts of octocrylene in cosmetic products to “safeguard the environment,” within the framework of the EU’s REACH directive on the production and utilization of chemicals.
“Moderate” additional costs
The suggested limit of 0.001% would “cause the removal of beauty products containing octocrylene from the marketplace,” given that the substance lacks UV-filtering efficacy at such a level. ANSES is not advocating for an outright prohibition, as it could still be present as a trace contaminant in particular products.
Following the evaluation of the “socio-economic effects” of the action, the agency deems the added expenses of producing sunscreens utilizing a “blend of substitute substances” to be “reasonable”: roughly EUR 39 million each year from 2027 to 2036, which accounts for 0.04% of European beauty product sales in 2023.
Considering “producers’ existing profit margins on these items, these expenses could be integrated without major complications,” Karine Fiore, associate director of the social sciences division at ANSES, stated to AFP. Indeed, “octocrylene-free sunblocks have been obtainable for a number of years,” she appended.
The health authority also gauged consumer acceptance of prospective price increases through a poll involving 7,200 individuals across six European nations. The outcomes indicate that the sum consumers are prepared to contribute “greatly surpasses the costs of the limitation,” illustrating that “Europeans desire beauty products that do not adversely affect the condition of aquatic environments,” the agency reports.
The suggestion is accessible for public feedback on ECHA’s website until March 24, 2026. ECHA’s committees for risk assessment and socio-economic examination will issue their verdicts in September 2026, preparing for a determination by the European Commission possibly in 2027.
