Tooth whitening products ‘held back by red tape’
The regulation of cosmetic products could risk stifling innovation, it has been claimed.
Chris Flower, head of the UK cosmetics and perfumery association CTPA, told CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com that with some products, such as tooth whitening treatments, it is unclear whether they should be classed as a cosmetic or a medicine.
He said that this presents EU regulators with a problem of classification and therefore it may struggle to make it onto the market.
By law, a product is termed a medicine if it treats, diagnoses or prevents a disease, or changes the physiology of the user.
Regulators are therefore presented with problems of which safety requirements a tooth whitening product must meet – cosmetic or medical.
"If the market wants it and the product is safe and efficacious then we should work on the regulation to see how the product can reach the EU market as either a cosmetic or a medicine," Mr Flower said.
Tif Qureshi, PR director for the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, recently claimed that the organisation was holding talks with the General Dental Council over how to enforce regulations on who can perform teeth whitening treatments.
