SCCS Notes of Guidance for the testing of cosmetic ingredients and their safety evaluation - 11th revision

SCCS members: U. Bernauer, L. Bodin, Q. Chaudhry (SCCS Chair), P. Coenraads (SCCS Vice-Chair), M. Dusinska, J. Ezendam, E. Gaffet, C. L. Galli, B. Granum, E. Panteri, V. Rogiers (SCCS Vice-Chair and rapporteur), Ch. Rousselle, M. Stepnik, T. Vanhaecke, S. Wijnhoven
SCCS external experts: A. Koutsodimou, W. Uter, N. von Goetz
Contact: SANTE-C2-SCCSec [dot] europa [dot] eu (SANTE-C2-SCCS[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)
On request from: European Commission
SCCS Number: SCCS/1628/21
Adopted on: 30-31 March 2021

Background:

The “Notes of Guidance for the Testing of Cosmetic Ingredients and Their Safety Evaluation by the SCCS” is a document compiled by the members of the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS, replacing the former SCCP, SCCNFP and SCC). The document contains relevant information on the different aspects of testing and safety evaluation of cosmetic substances in Europe. The emphasis of this guidance is on cosmetic ingredients, although some guidance is also indirectly given for the safety assessment of finished products. It is designed to provide guidance to public authorities and to the cosmetic industry in order to improve harmonised compliance with the current cosmetic EU legislation. An important development in recent years was the full implementation of the cosmetic legislation, Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, meaning that the animal testing and marketing bans fully apply from 2013 onwards: no in vivo testing of finished products after 11 March 2004; no in vivo testing for local toxicity after 11 March 2009 and no in vivo testing for repeated dose toxicity (including sensitisation) toxicokinetics and developmental toxicity from 11 March 2013 onwards for the purpose of cosmetics. For this reason, the SCCS has closely followed the progress made with regard to the development and validation of alternative methods, with emphasis on replacement methodology.

The "Notes of Guidance" are regularly revised and updated in order to incorporate the progress of scientific knowledge in general, and the experience gained, in particular in the field of testing and safety evaluation of cosmetic ingredients.

Keywords:

SCCS, SCCS Notes of Guidance for the Testing of Cosmetic Ingredients and their Safety Evaluation, 11th revision, SCCS/1628/21

Opinion to be cited as:

SCCS (Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety), SCCS Notes of Guidance for the Testing of Cosmetic Ingredients and their Safety Evaluation 11th revision, 30-31 March 2021, SCCS/1628/21.