At Sensient, we know the importance of ensuring the compliance of raw materials with regulations for all markets and at all levels. May it be during production, transportation, usage and disposal, we ensure our company and products do not harm users and the environment. We spoke with our global regulatory team with team members based in different regions to understand some common beauty misconceptions consumers have and also how our team value add and stand out from the rest.
MYTH:
Synthetic chemicals are less safe for human than chemicals made from natural origins
FACT:
Highly debatable but naturally occurring chemicals are not necessarily safer than those created synthetically. Synthetic chemicals are lab-based and therefore more scientifically analyzed, they have a defined chemical structure and composition which means we know exactly what is in the product itself. Hence making it easy to check and refer to the toxicological database or international safety assessment body which we have confidence in the safety assessment and toxicological data for any substance. As the toxicology principal “The Dose Makes the Poison” is true, regardless of whether a substance is naturally occurring or synthesized in the laboratory.
MYTH:
All preservatives are bad
FACT:
While some preservatives have toxicity study results that are unfavorable, some are safe to use and approved by regulatory authorities to be used in cosmetic products. It is highly recommended to include a small amount of preservative to prevent microorganism contaminating products, especially those formulated with high water content.
MYTH:
ASEAN Cosmetic Directive and EU cosmetic regulation are the same
FACT:
While ASEAN Cosmetic Directive is largely based on EU cosmetic regulation, there are several minor differences between the two. For example, ASEAN Cosmetic Directive prohibits using hair dyes in eyebrow application products and for some ingredients, there are different limits and restrictions for specific ASEAN countries.
How does Sensient value add when it comes to regulatory compliance of our products?
Sensient products are checked thoroughly based on strict regulatory standards. Hence we are highly confident when our team promotes a product knowing that we can answer any queries from our customers. Customers are savvier than ever and will go that extra mile to research before making any purchase. Thus with complete checks and documentations, we are sure that we will be able to meet any expectations.
What makes Sensient stand out from our competitors in terms of regulatory services?
At Sensient, we take pride of having a complete documentation support system that lists all the details that a customer requires. These documentations are made after thorough investigation on the raw material and production process, from the sourcing to the end product. Our global regulatory team is always catching up with the latest regulatory news and we take them into consideration when doing checks on our product development process. The team also strives to improve every day, working alongside with our customers to offer better service and support globally, making sure every region is covered.
What is the biggest challenge Sensient’s regulatory team face these days?
The buzzwords now are sustainable, clean and eco-friendly beauty. In order to keep up with consumer demands, our customers are also asking for more data than before. To ride on this wave, Sensient is working on getting sustainability certifications for our products and also reducing the carbon footprint from the overall manufacturing process. We work closely with our suppliers and partners to obtain all data required to complete technical documentation, and we make sure that we always have the most updated information and traceability when it comes to our supply. REACH can be a restrictive regulation in Europe but it has helped push suppliers to give more details when it comes to the supply chains and that in turn helps us to better serve our customers. Also by working together with our Quality Assurance team, we provide customer assurance on the credibility of our products. Our efforts are ongoing and we constantly seek to improve our products. Read more about our commitment to sustainability here and our company’s Sustainability Report here.
Another challenge the regulatory team faces is to have the global compliancy when it comes to our products. There are different restrictions in different regions even though most of them are inspired by Europe, regional differences are unavoidable and that is something we always take note of and make sure our customers are educated as well.
What is Sensient’s strategy to provide better regulatory service in the future?
We plan to improve our documentation standards even more so. There will be more information included in these Cosmetic Dossier when a customer purchases our product. This will help them to be more informed and feel assured when they use our products. We also plan to be more involved with trade associations to anticipate any regulatory changes so that we can adapt quickly. At Sensient, we always strive to improve, thus we appreciate and take comments and suggestions very seriously.
If you have any questions or want to find out more, contact us here and our team will be happy to reach out to you.
