What’s new?
On the 27th of November 2025, Sweden submitted to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) its intention of harmonized classification and labelling (CLH) of Silver chloride (CAS No. 7783-90-6), to be classified as Reprotoxic category 1B, Carcinogenic category 2 and Mutagenic category 2.
Silver chloride is a preservative agent used in cosmetic products, currently listed in entry 52 of Annex V of the Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009. Silver chloride can currently be used in cosmetics (except those intended for children under 3 years or oral, eye and lip products) at a maximum concentration of 0.004% (expressed as AgCl), only when it is deposited on titanium dioxide (20% AgCl on TiO₂).
What now?
After Sweden submits a dossier containing comprehensive information about Silver chloride, its properties, and any available data on its hazards, it will undergo an acceptance check by ECHA. In case the dossier is accepted, data provided to support the CMR (Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or Toxic for Reproduction) classification will undergo an assessment by the Risk Assessment Commitee (RAC). The outcome of this assessment might lead to an official CMR classification of Silver chloride.
Depending on the outcome of RAC opinion, the use of Silver chloride in cosmetics might be threatened in the future, considering that cosmetic ingredients, classified as CMR substances, of category 1 under Part 3 of Annex VI to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, shall be tipically directly prohibited in cosmetics, and of category 2 shall be either directly prohibited or may be allowed where the substance has been evaluated by the SCCS (in the context of the new classification) and found safe for use in cosmetic products.
References:
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) – Registry of CLH intentions until outcome
