Regulation (EU) No. 2023/2055 is an amending regulation to Annex XVII of the REACH Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 concerning the registration, evaluation, authorization, and restriction of chemical substances with regard to synthetic polymer microparticles (microplastics).
This amending regulation, among other things, establishes new regulations for the restriction of the active use of microplastics in cosmetic products. The regulation aims to curb environmental pollution caused by microplastic particles, especially when used in rinse-off products.
For rinse-off cosmetics, such as exfoliating products that contain microbeads (synthetic polymer microparticles used as abrasives), the prohibition on market placement applies immediately without a transitional period, as the industry should have voluntarily ceased their use by 2020. In the following years, leave-on (products that remain on the skin) products will also be affected by further restrictions regarding the use of microplastics.
Source: www.eur-lex.europa.eu
