The SCCS’s has concluded that there are significant safety concerns regarding the currently permitted use of Thiomersal and Phenylmercuric salts as preservatives in cosmetic eye products.
The use of Mercury and its compounds is generally prohibited in cosmetic products under the EU’s Cosmetics Regulation. However, there are specific, conditional exceptions allowing the use of the mercury-containing preservatives only in eye products. Given that mercury is highly toxic the European Commission has requested the SCCS to re-evaluate the safety of these authorized mercury-containing preservatives based on current scientific and technical knowledge.
