Chemicals of Concern in Cosmetics
Our Red List is a resource for businesses to assess the safety of the ingredients in the personal care products they make and sell.
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC) developed the Red List of Chemicals of Concern in Cosmetics to serve as a resource and tool to help brands, companies, and retailers reduce their use of toxic chemicals in the beauty and personal care products they make and sell.
Adopting and making a list of prohibited (or “do not use”) substances publicly available helps companies and consumers alike by advancing transparency, increasing customer trust, and guiding safer product formulations. It also establishes guidelines for suppliers of fragrance, raw materials, and finished products to ensure these entities are aware of and avoid the use of chemicals the company has pledged to eliminate.
In 2015, BCPP’s Campaign for Safe Cosmetics developed a Red List of Chemicals of Concern in cosmetics . The list included 102 chemicals found in personal care products that pose serious, chronic health concerns including cancer, hormone disruption , and reproductive and developmental harm. In 2018, we then expanded the Red List of Chemicals of Concern to also include chemicals used in cleaning products and fragrances. The updated list included the original cosmetics Red List , fragrance ingredients found through product testing, as well as authoritative lists of hazardous chemicals compiled by colleague organizations, researchers, and reputable scientific organizations.
