13 List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients Canada

Canada is a country that establishes its own regulation about cosmetic ingredients. While its neighbor has its own set of regulation with their List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients by FDA United States, Canada also has it in the prohibited and restricted cosmetic ingredient hotlist issued in Food and Drugs Act (FDA) and Cosmetic Regulations (CR).

Human and environment are exposed to harmful consequences if cosmetics are not regulated. Studies are conducted in order to inspect the issued ingredients whether it will have dangerous effects or not. Some of them ended up being prohibited or restricted. To further know about which are not allowed, here is list of prohibited and restricted cosmetic ingredients in Canada along with the exposure and harm.

List of Prohibited Cosmetic Ingredients in Canada

So, here are list of prohibited and restricted cosmetic ingredients Canada:

1. Epoxybutane

Epoxybutane is a colorless liquid with CAS number 106-88-7. The ingredient is often found in vapor and polymer solvent as well as in aerosol. The chemical is flammable and highly irritable to human’s body. Research found the chemical to cause nasal cavity and bronchial tumor in rats. Because of this result, the chemical is deemed as probable carcinogen. (Read: Harmful Chemicals Banned in Europe But Safe in the US)

Human’s contact with epoxybutane can cause skin irritation, and acute inhalation problem. Long term exposure to it can cause delayed burns and for worse, will trigger carcinoma within the body. The chemical has been in number one of the prohibited cosmetic ingredients in Canada.

2. Butadiene

Butadiene is a colorless gas with mild fragrance with chemical compound C₄H₆ registered in CAS with number 106-99-0. Belongs to conjugated diene, the butadiene is soluble yet will stay on the air if it is vaporized. The chemical was once used as aerosol in spray products including hair spray and perfume. Later, butadiene is found to be toxic and an air pollutant.

As for the harm it exposes, acute exposure to it can cause blurred vision, headache, and vertigo. There has been suspicion if the chemical is related to leukemia when human is exposed to it in long-term period. Listed as carcinogen in most conducted research, butadiene is prohibited cosmetic ingredients in Canada.

3. Basic Violet 10 (Rhodamine B)

Basic violet 10 or Rhodamine B is color additive often used for hair dye, printing ink, and eye shadow. It has CAS number of 81-88-9. The chemical had been widely commercialized until a suspicion of it being a harmful chemical to human’s health. Why it is harmful is because it can cause skin irritation, damaged eyes, and trigger allergies.

The chemical is also listed as probable carcinogen in which long-term exposure to it can cause the growth of benign to malignant cancer. While in some countries this color additive is still permitted or restricted with specific dose, its use is prohibited along with other List of Chemicals Banned in Canada.

4. Bromine

Bromine is an organic compound in the form of red, brownish liquid widely used in UK and US as hair dye, sanitizer, and water purifier. It belongs to halogen compound and is soluble in water. As it is not as active as chlorine, bromine was once treated as safe ingredient until study found it to be harmful to both health and environment.

Exposure through inhalation can cause malfunction in nervous system and thyroid gland. Organic bromine can also damage vital internal organs such as kidney, liver, and lungs. In the worst case, it can trigger cancer. As for environment, bromine contributes to ozone depletion, causing the earth to be exposed to ultraviolet ray. Ultraviolet ray has side effects to almost all organisms as listed in Harmful Chemicals in the Environment. Because of it, bromine is among prohibited and restricted cosmetic ingredients in Canada. 

5. Sodium Hexacyclonate

Another hazardous cosmetic ingredient is sodium hexacyclonate. Registered with CAS number 7009-49-6, it is a derivative of monohydrate substance. The chemical was used as ingredients for anti bacterial soap and cream.  Also, it is effective as sanitizer and is used as pharmaceutical drug as well. Thus, it is among Harmful Chemicals in Antibacterial Soap.

Further study found sodium hexacyclonate to be an irritable substance that can cause irritated eyes, skin problem, and is possible carcinogen. Moreover, constant exposure to it can result to a more serious and dangerous health problem. Therefore, people should be aware of.

6. Retinoic Acid

Resulted as the metabolite of vitamin A, retinoic acid is an organic compound with many beneficial functions. It acts as anti-acne and other skin disease and also part of leukemia medication. However, excess use of it may cause harmful side effects.

Retinoid acid can cause skin irritation, burning sensation, chapped skin, to unexpected change of skin color. However, the chemical is still available in some countries as seen in FDA List of Approved Cosmetic Ingredients  but it is among the prohibited cosmetic ingredients in Canada. 

7. Chloroform

Chloroform is a colorless organic compound resulted from chlorinated lime and ethanol reaction. Registered in CAS with number 67-66-3, chloroform was widely used in industry including as ingredient in cosmetic product and anesthetic. However, chloroform is proven to be a highly toxic chemical.

For the overall hazard of chloroform, it is considered high as study proved it to be cancerous to animals and possibly to human as well. It is also persistent and bioaccumulative in which long-term use of it will disrupt nature and caused depopulation to certain species. Study also proved it to be highly toxic to internal organs which can lead to damaged organ. Because of this very reason, chloroform is prohibited in Canada.

Aside from prohibited ingredients, there are also severely restricted ingredients in which their uses are limited under certain circumstances only.

More List of Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients in Canada

Here are more list of prohibited and restricted cosmetic ingredients Canada:

Cosmetic has been used daily and is part of human activities. It is undeniable that some of components make up their ingredients can expose harm to human and environment as listed in Harmful Chemicals in Cosmetics Products. These are all list of prohibited and restricted cosmetic ingredients Canada.