On January 14, 2026, by the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (European Commission), this news announcement details the mandate sent to the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) requesting a scientific opinion on aggregate exposure to Salicylic Acid (CAS/EC No. 69-72-7/200-712-3) resulting from the use of salicylic esters in cosmetic products.
Under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, cosmetic products must be safe under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions. Salicylic Acid has established regulatory limits due to certain hazard concerns, and recent attention has focused on potential overexposure from salicylic esters (e.g., used as UV filters, fragrance ingredients, or emollients) that metabolically convert to salicylic acid after dermal application.
The Commission conducted a two-step data collection:
2023 call: Identified salicylic esters, their concentrations, physicochemical properties, metabolic profiles, and dermal absorption data.
2024 call: Gathered detailed exposure data, use patterns, consumer habits, and modeling inputs for realistic aggregate exposure scenarios.
With sufficient data now available from industry submissions, scientific literature, and prior SCCS opinions, the mandate requests a comprehensive evaluation to determine if current uses remain safe, particularly for adults and potentially other age groups.
Terms of reference:
1. Is aggregate exposure to Salicylic Acid from current uses of Salicylic Acid and its esters safe for adults in cosmetics?
2. If not, what is the maximum safe concentration for aggregate exposure?
3. Are there concerns about other Salicylic Acid-releasing compounds beyond those already regulated in the Cosmetics Regulation Annexes?
Deadline: 12 months from approval (SCCS approved the mandate by written procedure on January 12, 2025). The assessment will help decide whether existing regulatory conditions are adequate or require adaptation.