The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday evening announced a draft amendment to ban the use of estradiol, estrone and ethinyl estradiol — three types of estrogen hormones — in cosmetic products from July next year.
Estrogens — also referred to as female sex hormones — are a group of chemically similar hormones that are important for sexual and reproductive development.
The FDA said the import and manufacture of cosmetics containing estrogens is to be prohibited, and local manufacturing companies that hold licenses to use estrogens in cosmetics should register plans with the administration to alter their products’ ingredients.
According to the agency’s data, the three types of estrogens can be found in shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers and astringents, body and skin creams, and also in UV sun screens
The WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2005 released a document stating that combined oral contraceptives — containing estrogen and progestogen — and combined menopausal therapy are a “Group 1” carcinogen.
“Long-term exposure to high levels of estrogens might increase the risks of breast cancer and endometrial cancer, and pose higher risks to pregnant women and children — possibly affecting a baby’s health, secondary sexual characteristic development in boys, or sex precocity in girls,” Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital department of clinical toxicology director Yen Tsung-hai (顏宗海) said.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Liu Chien-kuo (劉建國) asked why the EU and the US have already banned the use of these ingredients in cosmetic products, but Taiwan has to wait until July next year.
An FDA official said that while about 200 local companies hold licenses to use estrogens in their products, between 20 and 30 companies have already informed the administration about their plans to remove estrogens from their products, and the rest have to make changes to conform with the new regulations, but might be unable to make the changes in time.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chiang Been-huang (蔣丙煌) said the FDA would evaluate whether enforcement of the policy can be shifted to March next year.
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