EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety

The safety of cosmetic ingredients is assessed by the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety or SCCS.

The SCCS is an independent committee of experts from various EU countries. Its main function is to assess the safety of cosmetic ingredients, which are analysed on demand or as scientific opinions specifically required by the Commission, and to publish reports on each assessment.

This video shows the work of the SCCS.

Among its responsibilities, the SCCS drafts recommendations on guidelines for the cosmetics industry and raw materials suppliers to consider when developing safety tests for substances and products. This is done through “Notes of Guidance”, which are regularly reviewed and updated to add new knowledge, scientific advances and changes in regulations.

The latest, 10th revision of the Notes of Guidance is available at the following link:

View the report