UK advisory group urges stricter formaldehyde warnings for cosmetics

The UK’s Scientific Advisory Group on Chemical Safety (SAG-CS) has called for a significantly lower threshold for declaring the presence of formaldehyde-releasing substances in consumer products. SAG-CS concluded that the current 0.05% limit fails to ensure consumer safety, particularly given formaldehyde’s classification as a Group 1 carcinogen.

Under current UK law, all finished cosmetic products containing formaldehyde releasers must display on the label “contains formaldehyde” if the concentration exceeds 0.05%. However, the SAG-CS opinion challenges this threshold as outdated and ineffective for safeguarding the general population.

The recommendation proposes lowering the labeling threshold for formaldehyde releasers to 10 mg/kg, or 0.001%, in both rinse-off and leave-on cosmetics. Members of SAG-CS say this updated threshold is more appropriate based on existing scientific evidence.

Studies have linked formaldehyde exposure to an increased risk of nasopharyngeal cancer, leukemia (specifically myeloid leukemia), and cancers of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity. 

Long-term exposure may increase the risk of allergic reactions and asthma, while short-term exposure has been linked to symptoms such as eye, nose, and throat irritation and breathing difficulties.

Challenging the outdated threshold

Despite being officially banned as an ingredient in UK cosmetics under Annex II of the Cosmetic Products Regulation (Entry 1577), formaldehyde can still appear in products via permitted preservatives that release the substance over time.

These preservatives include commonly used compounds like DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, and diazolidinyl urea, which are listed under Annex V of the same regulation.

Wash off formulations, such as hair treatments, that contain formaldehyde-releasers also pose exposure risks.The group’s proposal to reduce the labeling requirement to 0.001% (or 10 ppm) reflects growing regulatory concern about low-level exposure to formaldehyde, also in wash-off formulations.

The revised limit would mean more products on the UK market would be subject to mandatory labeling, thereby increasing consumer transparency.

Moves for public safety

This development comes amid broader international scrutiny of formaldehyde use in beauty and personal care products. In the US, recent public and advocacy groups pressured the FDA to ban formaldehyde from hair-straightening treatments amid years of inaction.

Earlier this year, Washington State’s Department of Ecology, US, proposed a state-wide ban on formaldehyde-releasing chemicals in beauty and personal care products manufactured, sold, or distributed across the state.

Against this backdrop, the UK’s move to reassess its formaldehyde thresholds appears timely and in step with global regulatory developments. The European Commission has already restricted formaldehyde-releasing chemicals in cosmetics and introduced stricter labeling rules to enhance consumer transparency.