1600 ingredients banned in the EU?

A lot of beauty brands claim their products are safer because they follow EU regulations that ban more chemicals than the US, but that's a misunderstanding of how the regulations work.

[kamcorder]

So, it's sort of like comparing two people's calendars. Some people include everything, like wakeup time and dinner (even though they happen at the same time every day). If you compare the two schedules, one person looks busier but in reality they have equally busy schedules.

[AzjatyckiCukier]

Not to mention that some ingredients are simultaneously banned and not banned... like in EU you cannot use DMAE as an "active ingredient" in your cosmetic, but can still have it in your product as acidity regulator (as long as on the label you don't mention it as doing anything).

[aleece]

Your videos have been popping up in my feed a lot lately. I’m not sure why, but I’m so grateful! I love cosmetics and skincare, but I’ve found that world really exhausting lately. Your videos help clear out some of that fog and the subtle roasting at the end is hilarious 😂

[Peanut_taco_muffin]

These bogus statements bother me as well. I’ve been in beauty product development (across the gamut: skincare, haircare, cosmetics and even hair dyes and beard care) for over ten years and some of the nonsense I’ve seen and heard over the years about what is “hazardous” and what is touted as a miracle additive are absolutely bananas.

Especially when it comes to demonizing certain anti microbial agents and preservatives. Please do not boycott ingredients that actually prevent you from getting ill or create sometimes very impactful skin conditions because you heard some beauty influencer say it’s toxic on tik tok.

Speaking of beauty influencers, the power we companies must give them in order to get their advertising dollars is just insane. I worked for a skincare brand that was VERY serious about their formulas, taking well over three years to bring to market, and the Lab Director actually said “we’ll have to see what Hyram thinks” before adjusting the base of a product to improve slip. No offense to Hyram, but he has zero education in any arena of science, yet this 30-year veteran of the lab was basing her formula tweaking on his reaction.

These people know nothing about cosmetic science or even the raw materials that make a formula and say things like “if I can’t pronounce it, I don’t use it”- which is about THE most misguided thing I’ve heard. Like nails on a chalkboard to those of us in the inside. Oh wait this one is worse: “I use natural stuff because chemicals are bad for you”. I guess no one ever told them that they’re made of chemicals and so is every single thing they consume, including oxygen and water.

Please keep making videos like this, girl- a lot of people may protest and insist they know better (even without ever having taken a chemistry course in their life), but you’ll teach hundreds, if not thousands more about what they can check off the “omg dangerous chemicals!!” list.

One more gripe- it appears the very same people who complain about added fragrance are the very same that say a formula smells sooo bad because there is no added fragrance. It’s like a trend and it makes no sense.

[AkaiiAnn]

Honestly you’re my fav yt channel! I think that the work you do on this and other platform is TREMENDOUSLY important! You changed my perspective on cosmetics and also educated me on so much! I even started liking chemistry because of you 😂 Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us!

[MarieJohanna]

At least the regulations seem to be different. In Germany you cannot buy products containing ivermectin without a doctor's prescription. Products with this ingredient are freely available in the USA without a prescription. Cosmetics with Hydroquinone are not allowed in the EU at all.

[melody]

“Like Radioactive substances”
*laughs in radium*

[WudEvZ]

Dude I love you I’m so so so tired of my boyfriend banning all products due to some whim of a TikTok rant. Every week there’s a new bad product that will make my tits fall off.

[michelleb]

TBF I believe radium was used in some products in the 1930s. But technically we “know better” now.

[Erethras]

I agree with most of your videos. As a su citizen I thought it was well documented that the safety practice is more thorough on the European side and some banned products in the eu are still available in the us. As a good scientist now I have to go and do some readings from reputable sources before I make any conclusions.

[reesescreases]

I was going to argue azo dyes but I checked and Tartrazine is the same in the EU and US, it just must be labeled. Hypothetically a company that does business in Europe may cut some stuff out due to Norway and Germany, but so might a US company to avoid a Prop 65 warning on their products in California.

[Shuang_Shuang]

Well it's a little bit more than that. A key difference is that the FDA only bans things once they're proven harmful, whereas to EU bans things that are likely to be harmful or haven't been proven harmless. The FDA definitely does a lot of important work, but as a European, I definitely feel safer as a consumer buying European products

[prakashog]

It is kinda true though. The EU protects consumers more and doesn't allow some ingredients that the US does.

[sewaamin]

idk ive lived in 3 countries, two non eu, and sweden by far has better quality in most areas. Unless ure ordering online from abroad ofc then its the same but they ban those too eventually. it dosent matter just my two cents from experience

[margaretf]

Didn't they used to put radon in cosmetics

[stephaniemoura]

Being a Latino American, I’m so annoyed of all this bans of ingredients in Europe 😅

[enenenergp]

I mean they used to put radium and thorium in make up/cosmetics in the 1930’s so we can’t really say someone would never do that 💀😂

[stuartnelson]

I still trust the EU more since they tend to be more environmentally friendly as far as regulations go as well

[InimeKai]

Europeans themselves are pretty guilty of spreading this kind of fear mongering online too. Really annoying lol

[LabMuffinBeautyScience]

Interestingly, both the EU panellists say they think the US is better at enforcement of cosmetic regulations, and Jen mentions another EU-based cosmetic claims consultant who's said the same on her podcast.

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