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On Sunday, TikToker Hasini Kay posted a video captioned: “When you find out Olaplex is going to be banned in the EU + UK next month.” It’s like you could hear Olaplex fans having panic attacks around the world. There are currently a million views on Kay’s video. As she goes on to explain in a follow-up, Olaplex No.3 contains butylphenyl methylpropional, otherwise known as lilial (a fragrance), which has been linked to infertility. And while you can’t believe everything you see or hear on TikTok (or any social media for that matter), there is some truth to the rumors. Let’s get to the bottom of it.
First, it’s important to remember that dosage is extremely important — in everything. We use products every day that have “safe” levels of a certain ingredient that would be toxic at a higher dose. That’s the reality without any fear-mongering. Kay does the work though. She points to Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council as her source for the news, noting that “some sources say it [Olaplex No.3] has already been reformulated but they’re likely to reformulate before the ban comes into effect.”
She’s right in that the EU, and most like the UK next, is banning the use of butylphenyl methylpropional (or lilial) in cosmetics starting March 2022 — yeah, like now.
TikTokers in a panic went to cosmetic chemist-fave Javon Ford asking for clarity. He breaks it down, first saying “lilial has been on the EU’s restriction list for quite some time but is now officially banned starting March 2022. Should you be concerned? Not quite.” He shows a screenshot of Olaplex No.3’s current ingredient list on Sephora’s website and butylphenyl methylpropional is not currently in the formula. It doesn’t seem like it was in 2021 either. “Sometime between April and August, Olaplex decided to get ahead of the ban and phase out the ingredient,” he says.
The best part? “If Olaplex is working for you, no, you don’t have to discontinue use.”
The TL; DR of it all? No, Olaplex is not being banned. In a statement provided to STYLECASTER, a rep for Olaplex states pretty much exactly what we thought: “In September 2020, the EU regulatory authority announced their intent to Butylphenyl methylpropional commonly referred to as ‘lilial’ phased out by March of 2022. At Olaplex, lilial was previously used in small amounts as a fragrance in No. 3 Hair Perfector. It is not an active or functional ingredient. While this phase-out is limited to the EU, out of an abundance of caution, Olaplex proactively removed lilial from our No.3 Hair Perfector globally. Since January 2022, Olaplex no longer sold products using lilial in the UK or EU.”
More so, The Cosmetic Regulator, an anonymous cosmetic and personal care product regulator specializing in EU & UK cosmetics regulation, has said that lilial is usually present in formulations at a concentration of 0.1 percent or less and “is not enough to directly impact fertility.” According to the Cosmetic, Toiletry & Perfumery Association (CTPA), “Consumers who have bought cosmetic and personal care products that contain lilial can be reassured that these products are still safe to use. They will have undergone a rigorous safety assessment by an expert safety assessor to ensure their safe use.”
If there’s any concern about the ingredient for you, be sure to always check your labels on the products you’re buying. But for now, you’re fine using Olaplex because lilial isn’t in it anymore. Go ahead and breathe a sigh of relief.
Source: Stylecaster.com
