Which types of cosmetics are prone to containing fluorescent whitening agents
Affected by the safety issues of fluorescent whitening agents in cosmetics reported by some media in recent years, more and more consumers are paying attention to this issue. According to incomplete statistics, the fluorescent whitening agents that can be found in the EU cosmetics raw material database include fluorescent whitening agent 184, fluorescent whitening agent 230, fluorescent whitening agent 236, fluorescent whitening agent 264, fluorescent whitening agent 351, fluorescent whitening agent 367, fluorescent whitening agent 393, etc., indicating that these raw materials may have been used in cosmetics. Among them, fluorescent whitening agent 351 has been included in China's "Catalogue of Used Cosmetic Raw Material Names" (2015 edition).
Fluorescent whitening agents may be used in creams, creams, lotion, nail polish, facial mask and other products to make the added cosmetics look more white and crystal clear. Due to the fact that fluorescent whitening agents are mainly used to improve product appearance, their use in cosmetics is not necessary or common, and the dosage is not too large. Some media reports on the detection of fluorescent brighteners in cosmetics focus on facial mask products. The main reason is that fluorescent whitening agent is added to non-woven fabric and other facial mask carriers, or the carrier with natural plant fiber as raw material contains fluorescent substances. According to the "Technical Specification for Safety of Cosmetics" (2015 edition) in China, packaging materials that come into direct contact with cosmetics should be safe, should not react with cosmetics, and should not migrate or release toxic or harmful substances that pose a risk to human health.
So, is the facial mask used in the carrier or containing fluorescent whitening agent safe? This requires a scientific safety assessment based on product characteristics. As for facial mask, the factors to be considered include whether the carrier or the fluorescent whitening agent contained in it is safe; Whether the fluorescent whitening agent will migrate from the carrier and attach to the skin surface during the use of the facial mask; How much residue will remain on the skin according to usage, whether it will be absorbed by the skin, and whether there is accumulation in the human body after absorption.
According to the existing cognition, there are few research reports on the migration of fluorescent whitening agents. We cannot know whether fluorescent whitening agents will migrate out of the facial mask carrier, but it is difficult for fluorescent whitening agents to be absorbed through the skin (unless there is a wound on the skin, the normal barrier function is destroyed), so there will be a small amount of migration, and the impact on human health will be minimal. Scientific experiments have shown that if there is a wound on the skin, fluorescent whitening agents will bind to proteins in the human body through the wound, hindering wound healing. Therefore, it is not recommended to use cosmetics that may contain fluorescent whitening agents when the skin is damaged.
