Talc (hydrated magnesium silicate with EC number 238-877-9, CAS number 14807-96-6), is a natural mineral composed of magnesium, silicon, oxygen, and hydrogen. Its use is widespread in cosmetics and personal care products. In cosmetics, talc is currently a restricted ingredient in the European Union and United Kingdom (Annex III/59).
Talc ban in Europe
The European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) recently classified talc as a carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic (CMR) chemical. Consequently, talc will soon be banned in cosmetics in the EU.
As anticipated, Talc has been under assessment by ECHA’s Risk Assessment Committee (RAC), while the Netherlands proposed its classification as a CMR substance in 2023. In a report from September 2024, RAC eventually classified talc as a CMR substance Category 1B according to criteria set by the Regulation on Classification, Labelling, and Packaging of chemical substances (CLP Regulation). This means that the substance is presumed to have a carcinogenic potential for humans based largely on animal evidence.
Talc is expected to be banned in the EU during 2027.
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