On January 1, 2022, the New York legislature promulgated amendments to Article 37 of the Environmental Protection Law (ECL) to limit the presence of trace amounts of the solvent 1,4-dioxane in detergent products, including cosmetics and personal care products.
What is 1,4-dioxane?
CAS#123-91-1, it is a synthetic industrial chemical that is commonly used as a solvent and stabilizer in detergents, shampoos, and cosmetics. It is not a final product ingredient, but a by-product of the production process. For example, the commonly used surfactant-SLS will produce 1,4-dioxane when subjected to alkyl oxidation during its manufacturing process.
What harm does it cause?
Irritating the skin, eyes, and respiratory system, may cause damage to the liver, kidneys, and nervous system. Acute poisoning can lead to death. However, due to the low concentration of 1,4-dioxane in personal care and cosmetics, exposure through the use of these products is a secondary source of internal exposure. learn more
What kind of product may contain 1,4-dioxane?
Mainly cleaning, rinse-off products, due to the addition of surfactants to these products, 1,4-dioxane is introduced.
Which ingredients may contain 1,4-dioxane?
Mainly ingredients containing ether groups, such as polyethers (SLES, SLS), polyoxyethylene ethers (PEG-XXX), and polysorbate esters(Polysorbate 20).
What is the limit in New York?
As of December 31, 2022, the trace requirements for dioxane are as follows:
Household cleaning agents shall not exceed 2 ppm.
Cosmetics should not exceed 10 ppm.
Personal care products should not exceed 2 ppm.
From December 31, 2023, the trace limit for dioxane will be lowered:
Household cleaning agents shall not exceed 1 ppm.
Personal care products should not exceed 1 ppm.
What is the limit in other regions?
How do I know that my product does not exceed the standard?
The best way is to test, but you can also simply know from the ingredient list, for example, the content of dioxane in most SLS is below 20% (below 30% is acceptable). If the finished product contains 20% SLS, then the dioxane level is 4 ppm, which is clearly unacceptable. You must reduce the SLS to 5% to meet the standard of 1 ppm. Alternatively, look for another SLS with lower dioxane content.
Are there any ingredients that can replace 1,4-dioxane?
Yes, there are. Bio-based surfactants are potential substitutes, such as Lauryl Glucoside and Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate. However, when reformulating a product, it is necessary to take into account the overall performance, such as the foaming, cleaning ability. Another problem is that it can lead to increased costs.
