China NIFDC Consults on Three Test Methods for 72 Cosmetic Ingredients, Fragrance Components and Prohibited Colorants Included

On July 8, 2022, China National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC) launched public consultation on three draft testing methods for 72 cosmetic ingredients, including 40 fragrance components, 24 prohibited colorants, and 8 hair perming agents. Cosmetic stakeholders can send suggestions to hzpbwh@nifdc.org.cn before July 31, 2022.

1. Determination of Ethyl Acrylate and Other 39 Kinds of Components in Cosmetics

Regarding the determination of fragrance components, China has set national standards such as \”GB/T 24800.9-2009 Determination of Citral, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Anise Alcohol, Cinammal and Courmarin in Cosmetics by Gas Chromatography Method\” and \”GB/T 24800.10-2009 Determination of 19 Flavors in Cosmetics by Gas Chromatography-mass Spectrometry Method\”. However, it is found that these standards cannot fully meet the testing demand in practice, therefore this new method is developed.

This method aims to provide guidance for the identification and content determination of 40 fragrance components (see Table 1 below) in the perfume, powder, cream, emulsion, wax-based and liquid water-based cosmetics by Gas Chromatography-mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) method. Among these 40 components, 24 are allergens specified in EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 (EU Cosmetics Regulation), and the other 16 are prohibited fragrance components included in Safety and Technical Standards for Cosmetics 2015 (STSC 2015) and national standard \”GB/T 22731-2017 Fragrance Compound\”.

Table 1: The Basic Information of 40 Fragrance Components
Ref No.	Ingredient Name	CAS No.
1	Ethyl Acrylate	140-88-5
2	Methyl trans-2-butenoate	623-43-8
3	5-Methyl-2,3-hexanedione / Acetyl Isovaleryl	13706-86-0
4	Trans-2-heptenal	18829-55-5
5	Allyl Isothiocyanate	57-06-7
6	Dimethyl Citraconate	617-54-9
7	Diethyl Maleate	141-05-9
8	Benzyl Cyanide	140-29-4
9	4-Phenylbut-3-en-2-one	122-57-6
10	4-tert-Butylphenol	98-54-4
11	p-Hydroxyanisole	150-76-5
12	4-ethoxyphenol	622-62-8
13	Musk Ambrette / 4-tert-Butyl-3-methoxy-2,6-dinitrotoluene	83-66-9
14	Diphenylamine	122-39-4
15	7-Methoxycoumarin	531-59-9
16	7-Ethoxy-4-methylcoumarin	87-05-8
17	d-Limonene	5989-27-5
18	Linalool	78-70-6
19	Methyl 2-octynoate	111-12-6
20	Citral	5392-40-5
21	Citronellol	106-22-9
22	Geraniol	106-24-1
23	Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone	127-51-5
24	Benzyl Alcohol	100-51-6
25	Hydroxycitronellal	107-75-5
26	Cinnamal	104-55-2
27	Butylphenyl Methylpropional	80-54-6
28	Eugenol	97-53-0
29	Amyl Cinnamal	122-40-7
30	Anisyl Alcohol	105-13-5
31	Cinnamyl Alcohol	104-54-1
32	Farnesol	4602-84-0
33	Isoeugenol	97-54-1
34	Hexyl Cinnamaldehyde	101-86-0
35	Coumarin	91-64-5
36	4-(4-Hydroxy-4-methylpentyl)cyclohex-3-ene-1-carbaldehyde	31906-04-4
37	Amyl Cinnamyl Alcohol	101-85-9
38	Benzyl Benzoate	120-51-4
39	Benzyl Salicylate	118-58-1
40	Benzyl Cinnamate	103-41-3

2. Determination of CI 59040 and Other 23 Kinds of Components in Cosmetics

Currently the testing methods targeted at prohibited colorants in hair dyeing products are quite limited in China. Only one method for CI 42510 and CI 44045 is specified in STSC 2015. With the aim of filling the gap, this testing method is devised, stipulating the determination of 24 prohibited colorants in hair dyeing products by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).

Table 2: The Basic Information of 24 Prohibited Colorants
Ref No.	CI No.	CAS No.
1	CI 59040	6358-69-6
2	CI 10020	19381-50-1
3	CI 45430	16423-68-0
4	CI 14700	4548-53-2
5	CI 45350	518-47-8
6	CI 14270	547-57-9
7	CI 45380	17372-87-1
8	CI 16185	915-67-3
9	CI 42053	2353-45-9
10	CI 42045	129-17-9
11	CI 42051	3536-49-0
12	CI 58000	72-48-0
13	CI 15880	6417-83-0
14	CI 45190	6252-76-2
15	CI 15800	6371-76-2
16	CI 11920	2051-85-6
17	CI 12010	6535-42-8
18	CI 45370	4372-2-5
19	CI 12085	2814-77-9
20	CI 44045	2580-56-5
21	CI 42510	632-99-5
22	CI 47000	8003-22-3
23	CI 60725	81-48-1
24	CI 61565	128-80-3

3. Determination of Thioglycollic Acid and Other 7 Kinds of Components in Cosmetics

This method introduces the determination of eight hair perming agents in cosmetics by HPLC, including Thioglycollic Acid. It is developed to replace the method specified in STSC 2015 for the determination of Thioglycollic Acid. Compared to its predecessor, the new method is further optimized to deal with samples with different properties, and is applicable to six more Thioglycollic Acid Esters, covering those newly appear in cosmetics registration and notification, as well as those listed in Inventory of Existing Cosmetic Ingredients in China (IECIC) and EU Cosmetics Regulation.

Table 3: The Basic Information of 8 Hair Perming Agents
Ref No.	Ingredient Name	CAS No.
1	Thioglycolic Acid	68-11-1
2	Glyceryl Thioglycolate	30618-84-9
3	Methyl Thioglycolate	2365-48-2
4	Dithiodiglycolic Acid	505-73-7
5	Ethyl Thioglycolate	623-51-8
6	Isopropyl Thioglycolate	7383-61-1
7	Butyl Thioglycolate	10047-28-6
8	2-Ethylhexyl Thioglycolate	7659-86-1