On 30 October 2025, during its plenary meeting, the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) approved the European Commission’s mandate to evaluate the safety of Silver used in cosmetic products.
Background
Silver (CAS/EC No.7440-22-4/231-131-3) is an ingredient primarily used as a colorant (CI 77820) in cosmetics, providing a silver hue to various cosmetic formulations. It is an authorised colorant and, therefore, listed in entry 142 of Annex IV to the Cosmetics Regulation. Silver is frequently found in makeup products such as eyeshadows, highlighters, nail polishes, and body powders, where it provides a metallic/shimmery effect. In addition, in the current dossier submission, silver is reported as conditioning agent in rinse-off and leave on cosmetic products.
The European Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) of ECHA issued in February 2023 an opinion recommending among others a “Toxic for Reproduction Category 2” classification for Silver. Following the RAC opinion, the European Commission may propose a classification for silver as a “Toxic for Reproduction Category 2” (CLP Regulation Annex VI entry).
According to Article 15(1) of the Cosmetics Regulation “the use in cosmetic products of substances classified as CMR substances, of category 2, under Part 3 of Annex VI to Regulation (EC) No.1272/2008 shall be prohibited. However, a substance classified in category 2 may be used in cosmetic products where the substance has been evaluated by the SCCS and found safe for use …
