The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) said on Wednesday it had found dangerous and banned chemicals in hundreds of cosmetic products sold across Europe.

The Helsinki-based agency inspected almost 4,500 cosmetic products in 13 European countries and found that six percent of the products (or 285 products) contained banned substances due to their harmful health effects.

The chemicals were found in products “from multiple sellers and in all price ranges” during checks between November 2023 and April 2024, the agency said in a statement.

Products containing dangerous chemicals included eyeliners, lip liners, conditioners and hair masks.

The substances found are banned under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants as well as EU law, and exposure to them can reduce fertility and increase cancer risks, the agencies said.

According to ECHA, the inspections were mainly carried out by checking the ingredients list of the products, with the agency noting that the control measure “can also be easily used by consumers.”

Following the inspections, “law enforcement authorities have taken measures to remove non-compliant products from the market,” ECHA said.

The countries where controls were carried out were Austria, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Romania and Sweden.

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