No. 1031 - Miljøstyrelsen

Besides their technical properties, the siloxanes are used in the products, because
they are generally nonsticky, nonoily, nonirritating, do not make marks
on clothing and have a relatively low toxicity.
Consumption
Based on Will et al. 2003, the total consumption of silicones for cosmetics and
toiletries in Denmark can be estimated at 240 t/year. The consumption is
growing by about 2% annually in both Europe and the USA.
For the American market it is specified that 60% of the silicones used for
cosmetics, toiletries and pharmaceutical preparations is used in hair, skin and
other personal care products, whereas 32% is used in stick antiperspirants
(Will et al. 2003).
The Danish branch organization for cosmetics and toiletries, SPT, has no
specific information regarding the consumption of siloxanes in cosmetic
products made in Denmark. It is however believed that the total consumption
of cyclomethicone, which is one of the most used siloxanes in the cosmetic
industry, is approximately 5 - 6 t/year in cosmetic products produced in
Denmark. The typical content of siloxanes in the products is below 2 % of the
final cosmetic product, but the content can according to SPT vary between
0.5-40%, depending on the products in which the siloxanes are used.
According to one of the suppliers of silicones, the siloxanes are more widely
used in cosmetic products produced by the large international companies,
whereas there has been a tendency to avoid the substances in the cosmetic
products made in Scandinavia.
Siloxanes used
In a Danish survey of 328 hair-styling products in 2001, 25 different siloxanes
were identified as ingredients (Annex 2). Hair-styling products are used for
styling of the hair and do not include shampoos and conditioners. The most
common siloxanes were dimethicone copolyol (82 products out of 328), cyclomethicone
(24), dimethicone (21), phenyl trimethicone (18), amodimethicone
(16), cyclopentasiloxane (15), and dimethiconol (12). About half of the
found silicones were at the time of the reporting of the survey not included in
the INCI list.
Shampoos, conditioners and stick deodorants are the main cosmetic products
in which siloxanes are used. The presence of some of the same siloxanes
mentioned above in stick deodorants, shampoos and conditioners on the
Danish market has been confirmed by a short survey of products carried out
as part of this project.
Volatile cyclosiloxanes (mainly octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane)
are used in many stick deodorant and antiperspirant
products. Mixtures of the compounds are in cosmetics designated 'cyclomethicones',
but in some cases the term 'cyclomethicone' is also used for pure
octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4) or decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5).
According to Will et al. the use has shifted from D4 towards D5 because of
their supposed minor toxicity.
The Danish EPA has a database in which the content of chemicals in 766
cosmetic products on the Danish market is registered. Cyclomethicone is present
in 64 of the 766 products within the product groups: suntan lotions, body
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