You may have noticed that the ingredient Titanium Dioxide is officially banned as a food additive in the EU from August 2022 with a transition period since February 7 until August 7, 2022. This ingredient has been suspected of being carcinogenic for several years.
“This decision was based on a scientific opinion of the European Food Safety Authority. This concluded that titanium dioxide can no longer be considered safe when used as a food additive. This is particularly so because concerns about genotoxicity, the ability of chemical substances to alter genetic cell material, cannot be ruled out” German representation of European Commission.
What Labeling Code Has Titanium Dioxide On Packaging?
When used as a food colorant, Titanium Dioxide is indicated with the code E171.
In cosmetics, Titanium Dioxide is indicated with the code CI 77891.
Titanium Dioxide In Pharmaceuticals And Cosmetics
However, Titanium Dioxide is also present in other non-food products, particularly pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. For pharmaceutical products, Titanium Dioxide is still permissible in order to avoid shortages of medicinal products. In cosmetics Titanium Dioxide is not yet banned, because it is not yet proven that it is NOT harmful to health. But the current ban on its use in food will most likely affect the regulation of this ingredient in the other industries, too.
Functions in cosmetics*
TRANSPARENCY: Reduces the transparency and translucency of cosmetic products.
UV FILTER: Filters certain UV rays to protect the skin or hair from their harmful effects. All UV filters listed are substances from the positive list of UV filters (Annex VII of the Cosmetics Directive).
UV ABSORBER: Protects the cosmetic product from the effects of UV light.
Problem in cosmetics*
At least one animal study showed tumor formation or cellular changes when ingested orally. Of concern in oral or lip care products. Insufficient scientific data.
*The information on Titanium Dioxide can be found in the Code Check App
Titanium Dioxide In Lipsticks
My discovery of Titanium Dioxide in the lipsticks of almost all “clean” cosmetics brands such as RMS, Ilia, Kjaer Weis, Und Gretel, NUI cosmetics, HIRO and many more… was particularly irritating because I like these brands very much and I believe in their company values, transparency and honesty! The founders do an amazing job in this dirty industry. And I love their product ranges. But I sincerely hope that these wonderful cosmetic brands that present themselves as the purest, cleanest and most natural brands in the cosmetics market will also stand by their values and that they will share transparent information about the current situation so that the consumer is educated. I also hope that they remove their lipsticks or any products that contain Titanium Dioxide from sale until there is a food safe alternative to Titanium Dioxide. Because I think those ingredients have no place in clean and natural cosmetics and lipsticks must be food safe, too!
The same goes for the ingredient Red 7 Lake (CI 15850) which is a synthetic color additive, also known as Red No. 30, Red Lake 30. The ingredient is often found in blush, lipstick and other makeup products. Although it is approved for use in cosmetics, it is often derived from petroleum and/or coal tar and often used in conventional but also in “clean” cosmetics.
Can These Brands Receive The Trusted! Brand ID™?
MOCHNI only award the Trusted! Brand ID™ to brands that meet the following ingredient/material requirements.
Materials / Ingredients Requirements: 100% of the total product range must meet at least one of the criteria for product ingredients / materials criteria: CERTIFIED ORGANIC PRODUCT, NATURAL PRODUCT, MADE WITH ORGANIC MATERIAL, MADE WITH SUSTAINABLE RAW MATERIAL, RECYCLED, UPCYCLED, SCIENCE-BASED, SUSTAINABLE BLEND, ECO PATCHWORK. No product in the entire product range must fall under the LIST OF PROHIBITIONS.
As for the “NATURAL PRODUCT” criterion: “The finished product must contain a minimum of 95% natural ingredients/materials. For cosmetics: the 5% must consist of ingredients that are proven safe for human health or which are not suspected of being harmful to health.”
A “NATURAL PRODUCT” statement must be made by the CEO and we request the following: “Briefly explain the benefits of your natural products compared to conventional products. Please also explain why the product is certified natural and not organic and/or if you plan to replace the materials/ingredients with organic ones in the near future. If the product is certified natural, please include the correct certification name.”
It is our highest interest to only mention brands as Trusted! Brands that are honest, transparent and informative, openly address serious situations and are willing to improve. No brand has to be perfect, but the information must be open and honest so that people can build trust! MOCHNI works hard to achieve this trust.
If you have concerns about brands, whether they meet our standard, you may report any fraud, competition or trademark infringement immediately to info@mochni.com so that it can be dealt with. If there is concrete evidence that a brand violates legal regulations, third party rights or our agreement, or if MOCHNI has another legitimate interest, we may warn, restrict or delete the brand at any time.
