Polyethylene Terephthalate

What Is It?

Polyethylene Terephthalate occurs both as a transparent material and as a white, semi-crystalline material. In cosmetics and personal care products, Polyethylene Terephthalate is used in the formulation of foundations, leg and body paints, nail polish and enamels, and hair coloring products.

Why Is It Used?

Polyethylene Terephthalate unites or bonds surfaces together and increases the thickness of the lipidFat or fat-like substance found in the cells of plants and animals that includes fats, waxes, oils, and related compounds. (oil) portion of cosmetics and personal care products. Polyethylene Terephthalate also dries to form a thin coating on the skin, hair or nails and helps hair hold its style by inhibiting the hair’s ability to absorb moisture.

Scientific Facts

Polyethylene Terephthalate is a resinA class of solid or semi-solid viscous organic substances exuded by plants. Sometimes refers to a class of synthetic products with physical properties similar to those of natural resins. used as a raw material in man-made fibers, such as polyester and food and beverage containers.

Safety Information

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewed the safety of Polyethylene Terephthalate and approved its use as an indirect food additiveIndirect food additives are additives that may become part of the food in trace amounts due to its packaging, storage or other handling. For example, minute amounts of packaging substances may find their way into foods during storage. as a component of polymers having incidental contact with food.

Link to FDA Code of Federal Regulations for Polyethylene Terephthalate polymers

Polyethylene Terephthalate may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Regulation of the European UnionUnder the general provisions of the cosmetics regulation of the EU, ingredients appearing on the following function-specific annexes must comply with the listed restrictions and/or specifications: colorants (Annex IV), preservatives (Annex V), UV filters (Annex VI) and other ingredients with specific concentration limits and/or other restrictions (Annex III). Ingredients specifically prohibited from use in cosmetic products are listed in Annex II. Other ingredients listed in the EU cosmetic ingredient database (CosIng) may be used without restrictions..

Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation:
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_p…

More Scientific Information

Polyethylene Terephthalate is an organic compoundA compound that contains carbon and hydrogen and usually other elements such as nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen. produced from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol. In cosmetics and personal care products, Polyethylene Terephthalate functions as an adhesiveIngredients that unite or bond surfaces together., film formerIngredients that dry to form a thin coating on the skin, hair or nails., hair fixativeIngredients that help hair hold its style by inhibiting the hair?s ability to absorb moisture., and viscosity increasing agent – nonaqueous.

Resources

Find out more about the regulation of Food Additives by the Food and Drug Administration

Food Ingredients and Packaging: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/default.htm

Food Contact Substances: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/PackagingFCS/defaul…

Substances Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS“GRAS” is an acronym for the phrase Generally Recognized As Safe. Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), any substance that is intentionally added to food is a food additive, that is subject to premarket review and approval by FDA, unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, or unless the use of the substance is otherwise excluded from the definition of a food additive.): http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/default.htm

Search the Code of Federal Regulations http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm

EU Cosmetics Inventory http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/