Low DnHexP in Cetpro DHHB – Regulatory Update

Di‑n‑hexyl phthalate (DnHexP) is a type of chemical often used to make plastics more flexible. Because of health concerns, its use has been restricted or banned in many products, including cosmetics. Nonetheless, DnHexP can appear as an impurity or contaminant - for example, in products using certain UV-filters such as Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate (DHHB).

The EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has determined a maximum safe level of 260 ppm (0.026%) for DnHexP as an unavoidable impurity in DHHB, when DHHB is used at its maximum allowed concentration of 10% in the final cosmetic product. The EU Commission and Member States have agreed that a maximum allowable level of 10 ppm is an acceptable current limit due to practical/cost implications for manufacturers, with full compliance with the 10 ppm limit required by January 2027. 

The target level for the industry is 1 ppm, as evidence indicates that this level is technically achievable through optimised manufacturing processes. We can confirm our Cetpro® DHHB contains less than 5 ppm of DnHexP, and we are working towards less than 1 ppm to comply with the recommended target level.

(Source: SCCS - Scientific Advice on the safety of Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate - DHHB – S83)