Health Canada is about to introduce some changes to the content and presentation of the Cosmetics Ingredient Hotlist. The Hotlist is an administrative tool that Canadian authorities use to point out certain substances they consider as potentially harmful to users’ health and therefore contravening to cosmetic regulations. The last update to the Hotlist was in March 2011.

The proposed changes to the Hotlist are posted on Health Canada’s website and comments may be sent no later than December 8, 2013.

Among the proposed changes, there are two additions:

 Solvent Red 23 (CI 26100 / CAS #: 85-86-9), which should be prohibited in cosmetic products intended for use on or around mucosal membranes,

 Diethylhexyl Adipate or DEHA (CAS #: 103-23-1), which should be restricted in leave-on body moisturizers at a maximum concentration of 6%.

An upper limit of 30% in relation to the presence of alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) in professional-use cosmetic products is also proposed. The upper limit is of 10% for other cosmetics.

Furthermore, a limit of 0.01% is proposed to be added to the Hotlist for topical non-aerosol cosmetics that are expected to create and release formaldehyde vapours upon heating.

The detailed proposal is available on the web site of Health Canada.