INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS
MULTI USE VS SOLE END USES

A typical cosmetic product can contain between 15 and 50 ingredients. While the amount of chemicals used in one product can be shocking, the dosage used of each is small. This is why potentially dangerous chemicals are able to be utilised; as the percentage used is considered too small to inflict either short or long-term damage on human health. This means that many of the chemicals used in cosmetics are also used in other means, thus classifying them as multiple end use chemicals. The most common other uses are in therapeutic, household cleaning food additive and automobile means.

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In reference to the Industrial Chemicals Act’s ban on animal test data use, this unfortunately means that the majority (if not all) of the chemicals cannot be classified as having a sole end use in cosmetics.

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The most common chemical types used in cosmetics include emulsifiers, preservatives, thickeners, emollients, colouring agents/pigments and fragrances.