Investigation on Formaldehyde and Formaldehyde-releasers in Imported Cosmetics

Objective To acquire the frequency of using formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasers in imported cosmetics.

Method Statistic analysis on the category and frequency of using formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasers in 480 imported cosmetics was conducted in 2013-2016.

Results No formaldehyde and paraformaldehyde was found in any category of 480 cosmetics. Five kinds of formaldehyde-releasers, including 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1, 3-diol, diazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea and sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, had been found in nearly 9.4% of cosmetics.

Conclusion Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasers are one kind of preservatives in cosmetics, it is necessary to improve the awareness on their safety in consumer, and to strengthen supervision.