The European Commission gets tough on silicones. The European body has imposed new restrictions on D5 and D6 siloxanes in all products.
The new restrictions have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will apply from 6 June 2027. The European Commission limits the concentration of the silicone known as D5 to a maximum of 0.1% in leave-on cosmetic products. In the case of D6, it also sets a maximum concentration of 0.1%, both in rinse-off and leave-on products, and the date of entry into force is the same: 6 June 2027.
According to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), this measure is ratified in the interests of the environment, as these are two very persistent and bioaccumulative substances.
Already in 2018, ECHA categorised silicone D4, also known as octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, D5 and D6 as three substances that were very persistent and bioaccumulative. In addition, D4 was labelled by the European Commission as toxic and decided to ban it in 2018.
Last April the European Union set new limits on retinol according to new guidelines, the concentration of these substances should not exceed 0.05% retinol equivalent (RE) in body lotions and 0.3% RE in other cosmetic products, both rinse-off and leave-on. This limit was set after identifying that, although the contribution of cosmetic products to overall vitamin A exposure is low, there is significant concern for those consumers who already obtain high levels of vitamin A from food sources and supplements, particularly the 5% of the population with the highest exposure.