The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) has published the second edition of “Guidance on essential oils in cosmetic products” to help ensure the safety of cosmetic products in line with European and national cosmetic legislative frameworks.
Cosmetic products are often marketed as containing natural ingredients, including essential oils distilled from plants, as a sign of their good quality. Nevertheless, essential oils may have a high sensitising potential for consumers and therefore pose serious health risks. The protection of vulnerable populations such as children or sensitised individuals is particularly important. Sensitisation can occur by skin contact or by inhalation, such as in aromatherapeutic use.
The second edition of this guide contains up-to-date quality criteria and recommendations for the manufacture and safety assessment of cosmetic products containing natural ingredients. Revised under the aegis of the European Committee for Cosmetics and Consumer Health (CD-P-COS), it includes:
- an overview of the current regulatory context and guidance;
- quality criteria, from raw materials to production, for essential oils;
- evaluation of risk-assessment approaches to safety data and toxicological thresholds;
- practical recommendations regarding safety assessment.
Download and further information
The second edition of “Guidance on essential oils in cosmetic products” is available in English and French. The PDF versions can be downloaded for free from the FreePub website, the EDQM’s free publications platform.
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