Sunflower oil shortage: manufacturers will change the formulas of their cosmetics and it can be risky for our skin

Bercy’s services were already seized since last spring, today the request of the giants of cosmetics has been accepted: now they can modify their formulas which originally included sunflower oil with other raw materials. The target. the goal? Being able to cope with the shortage occurred after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia avoiding possible additional costs.

The Directorate General for Competition, Consumers and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF) announced in a press release that it was still ongoing limit the number of exemptions in order to “Guarantee the continuity of supply of the products concerned”. All this while ensuring “Safety and good consumer information”.

In total, this exemption can be granted for a maximum period of 6 months (of which a grace period of 3 months) the time to make the packaging conform to the new composition.

And the “organic” cosmetics?

Organic cosmetics are subject to specific controls. If at least 10% organic ingredients must be present in the total formula to obtain the Cosmébio label, this figure rises to 20% for Cosmos Organic. But what if sunflower oil is replaced by another ingredient? Well these changes must be expressly indicated on the packaging of interested cosmetics to offer the best clarity and transparency to consumers.

How can these changes be dangerous?

If the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumers and Fraud Prevention wants the revised formulas to remain in line with consumer safety and good information, what is it really about? What you need to know is that sunflower oil is one of the cheapest on the market. She is therefore economically difficult to replace. If there are safe and equivalent alternatives such as apricot oil (to nourish dry skin), wheat germ oil (to protect damaged skin) or hazelnut oil (to regulate fat) the latter are still more expensive.

There are also more cleavage oils available but they may not appeal to everyone. We think in particular with mineral oils of which the paraffin, known to be occlusive to the skin. The latter is in fact quite useful for maintaining hydration, but it may not be suitable for everyone.

Bottom Line: If large groups already have a large enough stock of beauty products to cope with the shortage, it’s still important to keep an eye out to see if brands have used a substitute raw material that may not agree with yours. skin type and sensitivity. It is therefore important check the INCI line of each cosmeticjust to avoid (bad) surprises.

One image credit: @cottonbro.