HELENA EIXARCH
Cosmetics & Toxicology Consultant, TSG Consulting, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom

There is no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic has been the hot topic in 2020 and will almost certainly be in 2021’s top 10. 

From vaccine development to social distancing, government measures to economic implications, almost nothing has escaped from the consequences of the pandemic. When it comes to the cosmetics and biocides industries, and with hand hygiene being one of the key factors to stop the spread of the virus, the impact and resulting business opportunities are obvious.  Be it a regular soap or a hand disinfectant, the demand for these products has increased during the past year.

But with an increase in business opportunities, there is also room for opportunism. During the last few months, a dramatic increase in non-compliances related to products like hand cleansers has been recorded. These products, especially when not intended to be rinsed off, lie in the borderline between cosmetics and biocides. And when there is room for interpretation, the level of non-compliance is subject to increase.

Many of these hand hygiene products ...