Cosmile Europe collaboration offers instant app access to thousands of cosmetic ingredients
04 Dec 2023 --- Cosmetics Europe sees transparency and consumer empowerment with the launch of the Cosmile Europe app in partnership with IKW (German Cosmetic, Toiletry, Perfumery and Detergent Association), FEBEA (French Fédération des Entreprises de la Beauté and Health&Media, a German company specializing in digital information.
UK cosmetics association CTPA (Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association) also supports the launch, which is billed as a gateway to the Cosmile Europe database, with information on nearly 30,000 cosmetic ingredients at the “fingertips” of European citizens. The app promises access to reliable, verified and scientifically supported details on the constituents of their cosmetic products.
Features and functions
The app provides accessible ingredient retrieval where users can quickly obtain information by scanning product labels, manually searching for specific ingredients or scanning barcodes to access details.
Furthermore, tracking enables users to record certain ingredients or those linked to allergies confirmed by dermatologists, enhancing personalization and user control.
The “Insights” section provides insights into EU laws ensuring cosmetic safety, the science behind sunscreen efficacy and answers to frequently asked questions.
It also provides multilingual accessibility, launching in eight languages, including Bulgarian, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian and Spanish.
The Cosmile Europe app provides consumers access to information on cosmetic ingredients.
Unveiling the power of knowledge
The Cosmile Europe app aims to demystify cosmetic ingredients with a clear understanding of their roles and properties.
“As an industry, we are committed to providing information on the ingredients in our cosmetic products in a simple and easily accessible way,” saysJohn Chave, director general of Cosmetics Europe.
“Now, with the Cosmile Europe app, with its new ways of searching and tracking ingredients, accessing this information has never been easier. We hope this tool will contribute to helping European citizens choose their cosmetic products.”
CosmileEurope believes European consumers use over seven cosmetics daily on average so it is natural for consumers to question the cosmetic ingredients.
“More detailed information on ingredient properties, whether man-made or of natural origin, in which types of products the ingredients can be found comes from independent experts and scientific assessments published by EU and national expert bodies.”
Cosmetics industry flags concerns
In previous news, Cosmetics Europe flagged various concerns about the new rules for treating urban wastewater, which require cosmetics and pharmaceutical producers to finance micro pollution costs.
“The impact assessment accompanying the [EU] proposal does not provide clear scientific reasoning as to why the cosmetics sector has been chosen,” it argued.
However, the Parliament justified that cosmetics and medicinal products have been identified as the primary source (92%) of micropollutants requiring additional treatment. At the same time, the European Environmental Bureau criticizes that the members of the Parliament watered down the European Commission’s proposal by introducing new exemptions and covering part of the fees using the public budget.
Further, reacting to a report on child labor, Personal Care Insights spoke to CTPA, Cosmetics Europe, the Responsible Mica Initiative and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.
By Venya Patel
