| Front page | | Contents | | Previous | | Next |

Survey of liquid hand soaps, including health and environmental assessments

4 Survey

• 4.1 Definition of products in the survey
• 4.2 The survey
  • 4.2.1 Products on the retail market
  • 4.2.2 Products for occupational use
• 4.3 Ingredients and product labelling
  • 4.3.1 Labelling requirements
  • 4.3.2 Registration of products in the survey
  • 4.3.3 Fragrance chemicals, preservatives and surfactants in the products
  • 4.3.4 Comparison of retail products and products for occupational use
  • 4.3.5 Products in IMS' market screening

4.1 Definition of products in the survey

Liquid hand soaps make up a large number of products in retail distribution. Apart from products sold as hand soaps, several products on the retail market are sold as both hand, hair and body soaps (all-over soaps, body soaps). The market for occupational use also includes a wide range of hand cleaning agents and hand disinfectants. Typically, hand cleaning agents are used for removal of filth such as oil, grease, printing ink, oil paint, metal and cement dust, etc. Hand disinfectants are used when there are particular demands to hygiene, e.g. in the hospital and care sector, in day nurseries, and in the food industry.

As one of the purposes of the survey is to compare products for sale in retail distribution and for occupational use respectively, the survey has been limited to liquid hand soaps (including creams, gels and foams). In addition, a few all-over soaps have been included as they are regarded as hand soaps on the basis of their packing and size. Hand cleaning agents and hand disinfectants have not been included as these are primarily for occupational use and not products for the general consumer. Consequently, there is no real basis for a comparison of consumer products and products for occupational use.

4.2 The survey

In May 2005 a survey was carried out of hand soaps for sale on the Danish retail market and for occupational use (I&I products). The survey was carried out by collecting information from the list of ingredients on the products purchased in retail distribution and per mail order and through contact to selected manufacturers and suppliers of products for occupational use.

4.2.1 Products on the retail market

Hand soaps on the retail market have been identified at the following distributors:

• groceries, supermarkets and supermarkets chains
• department stores
• clothes shops
• chemists
• pharmacies
• Internet distributors
• vendors of kitchen and interior decor

In March 2005 the Danish Information Centre for Environment & Health (Informationscentret for Miljø og Sundhed, IMS) made a screening of the Danish retail market for liquid hand soaps. The content of chemical substances were examined in 45 products on the basis of the products' list of ingredients. The survey had special focus on potentially sensitizing substances but also on substances hazardous to human health or causing environmental impacts. The result of the market screening is available in Danish on IMS's webpage (www.miljoeogsundhed.dk) (2). Products are listed with remarks, if any, on the content of potentially sensitizing substances or other substances with unwanted effects on human health or the environment.

The survey in May 2005 showed that IMS's market screening still covered a large part of the liquid hand soaps for sale on the retail market. As a result, the IMS survey has been used as a supplement to this survey.

From 10 – 26 May, 25 different products were purchased during visits to the above shops, with the exception of pharmacies, and via the Internet. Nine products are identical to products/trade names in IMS' report that were given a remark due to their content of unwanted substances. The products were purchased to demonstrate if the unwanted substances, in particular the very sensitizing preservative Methyldibromoglutaronitrile (MG), can still be found in the products. The remaining products in the IMS survey have not been purchased again. The survey has concentrated on products containing perfume and only a limited number of hand soaps without perfumes were bought. Eco-labelled products have not been purchased as the 26 fragrance chemicals reported as contact allergens must not total more than 0.01% in products such as hand soaps.

The range of hand soaps on the retail market is large and changeable, but this survey supplemented with the above market screening from IMS is believed to cover the whole market in the spring of 2005. Several manufacturers market products with the same name but with different fragrances. In these cases mainly one fragrance of the product has been purchased. The prices of the 25 purchased products range from DKK 12.50 – 115.00 apiece or DKK 25.00 – 460.00 per litre.

Table 4.1 lists the products purchased in retail distribution, stating the form of the product and if potentially allergenic fragrance chemicals or preservatives have been identified on the basis of the product's list of ingredients.

Table 4.1 Purchased products

# Product 3 is now marketed in a new formulationing

* Product 13 is now marketed in a new formulation without Methylchloroisothiazolinone og Methylisothiazolinone

**Product is no longer on the market

4.2.2 Products for occupational use

Products for occupational use have been identified through contacts with the I&I trade and with The Association of Danish Cosmetics, Toiletries, Soap and Detergent Industries (Brancheforeningen for Sæbe, Parfume og Teknisk/kemiske artikler, SPT). Selected manufacturers estimated to have a large market share in hand soaps for occupational use have been contacted. In addition, inquiries have been made to suppliers to investigate who produces the hand soaps that they sell.

Manufacturers/suppliers have been contacted by phone in order to obtain information on the products for sale on the Danish market, where the products are sold, the form of the product (foam, gel, cream, etc.), and if possible information on market shares. The contact was followed up by an e-mail with more elaborate details of the survey and the information requested on the products.

On the basis of the communication with manufacturers and suppliers 25 products for occupational use have been included in the survey. These products are grouped in two categories:

• common hand soaps (21 products)
• hand soaps with anti-bacterial effects (4 products)

Information on product composition has been obtained from safety data sheets or other product information.

The selected products are estimated to cover >50% of the market for hand soaps for occupational use.

Table 4.2 lists the products for occupational use, stating the form of the product and if potentially allergen fragrance chemicals or preservatives have been identified on the basis of the product safety data sheets. Two products (nos. 27 and 30) are used primarily in the hotel and catering trade whereas the remaining 23 products are used in all I&I trades.

Table 4.2 Selected products for occupational use

4.3 Ingredients and product labelling

4.3.1 Labelling requirements

Hand soaps are covered by the Danish "kosmetikbekendtgørelsen" (Danish statutory order no. 74 of 14/01/2005) (1). This means that the products must be labelled as follows:

• Company name and address or registered office of company responsible for marketing the product.
• The product's nominal content given by weight or volume.
• Date of minimum durability, if the durability of the product in unopened condition is less than 30 months. If the durability in unopened condition exceeds 30 months the product must be labelled with an open container stating for how many months and years after opening the product can be used without harming the user.
• Precautions for use describing the safe use of the product and statutory warnings, if any, and particular considerations, if any, for cosmetics for occupational use.
• Batch number of manufacturer or reference for identifying the goods.
• List of ingredients. Ingredients must be stated by INCI name (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) and listed in descending order according to their weight percentage in the product.
• Fragrance and aromatic compounds and their raw materials must be listed as "perfume" or "aroma".

The 26 particularly allergen fragrance chemicals must be stated separately on the product label if they appear in concentrations above 0.01% in hand soaps delivered after 11 March 2005. Tables 4.1 and 4.2 above list the fragrance chemicals in the products in the spring of 2005.

4.3.2 Registration of products in the survey

All products purchased in retail distribution and the selected products for occupational use have been registered in a database. The following general product information has been recorded:

• Product no.
• Date of purchase
• Trade name
• Place of purchase
• Price per litre
• Bar code no.
• Volume
• Identification of manufacturer and/or supplier
• Batch no.
• Product appearance/design
• Target group
• Comments, if any

To identify preservatives, fragrance chemicals and surfactants in the products the products' list of ingredients or safety data sheets have been examined. Preservatives, fragrance chemicals and surfactants have been identified by their INCI name, chemical name and CAS number. Remaining product ingredients have been stated with INCI name as "other ingredients".

4.3.3 Fragrance chemicals, preservatives and surfactants in the products

Table 4.3 lists fragrance chemicals identified in products in retail distribution and for occupational use, respectively, according to the products' list of ingredients or safety data sheets.

Table 4.3 Fragrance chemicals identified in the products

* Included on EU's list of 26 allergen fragrance chemicals

Fragrance chemicals, included on EU's list of 26 allergen fragrance chemicals, are stated on the product label of two of the purchased retails products and four of the products for occupational use. Content of perfume was listed on the majority of the products purchased in retail distribution (21 of 25 products) and particular attention was paid to perfumed products in connection with purchase. Based on the product supply, it is estimated that in general far more perfumed than perfume-free products are marketed in retail distribution. Among the products for occupational use approx. half of the products were perfumed.

Table 4.4 lists preservatives identified in products for retail distribution and for occupational use, respectively, according to the products' list of ingredients or safety data sheets.

Table 4.4 Identified preservatives in the products.

* Potentially sensitizing substances

** Found in anti-bacterial soaps

*** Included on EU's list of 26 allergen fragrance chemicals

It appears from table 4.4 that several of the products contain preservatives which can be described as potentially sensitizing substances, including 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol, DMDM Hydantoin, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Methyldibromoglutaronitrile, Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone. These substances are found in more products for sale in retail distribution than in the selected products for occupational use. A number of the preservatives used in products for retail distribution are identical with preservatives used in I&I products. Generally, various different preservatives are used in products for retail distribution. 22 different preservatives have been identified in the 25 products for retail distribution whereas 15 different preservatives have been identified in the 25 products for occupational use. In addition, different preservatives are used in combination in the retail products whereas I&I products in general only contain one preservative (according to the product safety data sheets). Four of the 25 examined I&I products can be characterized as anti-microbial soaps. These products contain biocides such as Benzalkonium Chloride, Chlorhexidin Digluconate, Triclosan, and Undecylenic acid that are not found in liquid soaps for common use.

Table 4.5 lists surfactants identified in products for retail distribution and for occupational use, respectively, according to the products' list of ingredients or safety data sheets.

Table 4.5 Identified surfactants in the products.

As appears from table 4.5 it is largely the same type of surfactants that are used in retail products and in I&I products. The surfactants Cocamidopropyl Betaine and Sodium Laureth Sulfate occur often in the products.

4.3.4 Comparison of retail products and products for occupational use

When comparing the content of the most important ingredients (surfactants, preservatives and fragrance chemicals) in consumer products and in products for occupational use, there is no noticeable difference of ingredients in the two groups. Both product types contain fragrance chemicals and preservatives reported as contact allergens, and based on available data it is not possible to assess if allergen substances appear more frequently in products for private consumers than in products for occupational use. It is estimated that the supply of perfume-free products is larger for products for occupational use than for products for retail distribution.

In general, it appears that slightly more preservatives are used in consumer products compared with products for occupational use. The most common preservatives in consumer products are Benzoic acid, Dehydroacetic acid, Phenoxyethanol, and Sodium benzoate. In products for occupational use the most common preservative is Sodium benzoate. Anti-bacterial soaps for occupational use also contain biocides which are not found in liquid soaps for private consumption. Concerning surfactants, particularly Sodium laureth sulfate and Cocamidopropyl betain appear frequently in both product groups. However, a number of the ingredients identified in the two product groups are only found in a small number of the products, and consequently it is difficult to compare the products.

4.3.5 Products in IMS' market screening

The 45 liquid hand soaps in IMS' market screening were screened mainly for content of (potentially) sensitizing substances. The screening showed that several of the products contained the following substances (preservatives):

• 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol
• DMDM Hydantoin
• Imidazolidinyl Urea
• Methyldibromoglutaronitril
• Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone (Kathon)

In connection with this survey nine of the 45 products from IMS's screening (2) were purchased. Methyldibromoglutaronitril had been phased out from one of the products, but the remaining products still listed the problematic ingredients identified by IMS.

| Front page | | Contents | | Previous | | Next | | Top |

Version 1.0 June 2006, © Danish Environmental Protection Agency