Dangerous chemicals have been found in hundreds of cosmetic products, including those sold in Romania. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has checked nearly 4,500 products in 13 countries, and the results are worrying.
Out of all the products checked, 285 (6%) contained banned substances that can reduce fertility, increase the risk of cancer, or cause other serious health problems.
The contaminated products include eyeliners, lip liners, hair balms, and hair masks.
ECHA emphasizes that these toxic substances were found in products "from various sellers and across all price categories," with checks conducted between November 2023 and April 2024.
The discovered substances are prohibited both by the Stockholm Convention and EU legislation.
Following the inspections, authorities have removed all non-compliant products from the market.
ECHA mentions that consumers can also easily check for the presence of these substances by reading the ingredient list on the packaging.
The countries where the checks were carried out were Austria, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Romania, and Sweden.