On Wednesday, June 7, the association UFC-Que Choisir once again alerted consumers by publishing a list of nearly * 1000 hygiene products containing harmful substances or worse, "strictly prohibited".

Last February, the association already pointed 11 toxic molecules (which now stands at 12) disseminated in more than 400 products.

A dramatic increase caused by the call of the association to consumers to report new references.

"Outlaw" substances still in use

Among the 1000 products considered dangerous to health in the more or less long term, 23 would be "outlawed", rebels the association which demands their "immediate withdrawal".

The reason ? They would contain prohibited substances.

Among them, methylisothiazolinone (MIT) and its cousin, methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCIT), both formally banned since July 2016.

Thus, many products "not rinsed", especially for hair afros or frizzy, are concerned.

Endocrine disruptors in baby products

Endocrine disruptors, long accused of being responsible for hormone disruption and even impacting fertility, are also still too present according to the association.

More serious, we sometimes find several in the same reference.

At the top of the list are BHA, an antioxidant found particularly in a product widely used by moms to treat diaper rash of their infants, and Sobutylparaben.

"Children, teenagers and pregnant women must flee," warns the association.

Parabens replaced by not-so-harmless substances

Faced with more informed consumers, brands regularly review their copy. Many people have decided to opt for "paraben-free" references.

But a product without parabens would not necessarily guarantee safety since they are regularly replaced by other agents, sometimes irritating.

As a reminder, isobutyl, isopropyl, benzyl, pentyl and phenylparaben have been banned since 2014. Nevertheless, their cousins ​​butylparaben and propylparaben are still allowed, although suspected to be endocrine disruptors.

Why are there still such products on the market?

According to the French Federation of Beauty Companies (FEBEA), the fact that some products containing allergens are still distributed, despite updated legislation, is potentially due to the "complexity" of certain distribution chains.

It nevertheless calls on them to correct the situation and "withdraw them immediately from the market".

A list of "healthy and safe" cosmetics published

To find your bearings, UFC-Que Choisir offers a guide for agents to avoid on its website.

For its part, the magazine "60 million consumers" has also just published a list of products deemed "safe" in an off-series magazine.

* The complete list of 1000 products to find here .