This project sought to survey the use of adhesives for beauty products – specifically, adhesives for artificial nails, artificial eyelashes and facial decorations (e.g., to apply stones or glitter to the skin). It focused on transparent adhesives, as from a regulatory perspective, only coloured adhesives fall under the Cosmetic Products Regulation. Transparent adhesives are instead covered by legislation for chemical mixtures (i.e., the REACH and CLP regulations).
A small user survey was conducted among primarily young people under the age of 25 regarding their use of adhesives for beauty products and discomfort experienced when using them. Ingredients in adhesives for beauty products were investigated through a market survey, literature search and chemical analyses of selected purchased adhesives. The user survey conducted showed that 15% of the respondents had experienced discomfort on one or more occasions when using beauty product adhesives. In addition, 17% of respondents knew someone who had experienced discomfort or allergic reactions when using beauty product adhesives. A literature search confirmed that allergic reactions and chemical burns are particularly common when using nail or lash adhesives. The survey of ingredients in the different types of beauty product adhesives showed that nail and lash adhesives contain acrylates and at large concentrations, whereas skin adhesives typically do not contain acrylates at all.
The chemical analyses carried out showed that several of the nail and lash adhesives tested release formaldehyde, which is allergenic. Some adhesives have such a low pH that they may be corrosive or irritating. There is a demonstrated risk of sensitisation (i.e., the development of an allergy) to formaldehyde with normal, foreseeable use of two of the tested nail adhesives. A person who is already sensitised to either acrylates or formaldehyde could have a reaction to a large majority of these adhesives. A low pH could also promote the sensitising effect.
A review of the differences in legislation and identified problematic substances in transparent adhesives shows that consumers are generally disadvantaged, as transparent adhesives are covered by the REACH and CLP Regulations rather than the Cosmetic Products Regulation. As adhesives are sold as indispensable accessories for cosmetic products, it would therefore make sense for these adhesives to also be considered cosmetic products.
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