Dry & Itchy Scalp Care Cowash

These describe what an ingredient is, not whether it is a problem. The stance marks above are the ratings; these are not.

• common irritantMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil

  • Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil: An essential oil whose oxidation products carry its sensitising potential; the EU assesses it as a moderate skin sensitiser. SCCS Scientific Opinion on Tea Tree Oil (CAS/EC 68647-73-4 / 285-377-1), SCCS/1681/25, adopted 30 October 2025, which concludes it is a moderate skin sensitiser. It does not set maximum levels of its own: it assesses the concentrations the applicant defended, and finds no concern at 2,0% in shampoo, 1,0% in shower gel, 1,0% in face wash and 0,1% in face cream, for oil conforming to ISO 4730:2017, in adults, in non-sprayable formats. It draws on the earlier SCCP opinions SCCP/1155/08 and SCCP/0843/04 and incorporates their data by reference; it says nothing about their status.

• fragrance materialMentha Piperita Oil, Menthol, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Lilial, Linalool

  • Mentha Piperita Oil: A cooling essential oil the EU names on its own account as a fragrance substance to be declared on the label. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III entry 361, inserted by Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545: a fragrance substance whose presence must be indicated in the list of ingredients above 0,001% in leave-on and 0,01% in rinse-off products. It is declarable in its OWN right, not by way of any component it carries. The name to look for on a label is "Mentha Piperita Oil". The duty applies now. Transition footnote (40) lets stock that does not comply, lawfully placed on the Union market before the 31 July 2026 cut-off, be made available until 31 July 2028.
  • Menthol: The cooling component of mint oils, named by the EU as a fragrance substance to be declared on the label. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III entry 338, inserted by Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545: a fragrance substance whose presence must be indicated in the list of ingredients above 0,001% in leave-on and 0,01% in rinse-off products. It is declarable in its OWN right, not by way of any component it carries. The name to look for on a label is "Menthol". The duty applies now. Transition footnote (40) lets stock that does not comply, lawfully placed on the Union market before the 31 July 2026 cut-off, be made available until 31 July 2028.
  • Citronellol: A rose-and-citrus fragrance component named separately on the label. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III entry 86: a fragrance substance whose presence must be indicated in the list of ingredients above 0,001% in leave-on and 0,01% in rinse-off products, because of established contact-allergy risk.
  • Geraniol: A rose-scented fragrance component named separately on the label. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III entry 78: a fragrance substance whose presence must be indicated in the list of ingredients above 0,001% in leave-on and 0,01% in rinse-off products, because of established contact-allergy risk.
  • Hexyl Cinnamal: A jasmine-like fragrance component named separately on the label. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III entry 87: a fragrance substance whose presence must be indicated in the list of ingredients above 0,001% in leave-on and 0,01% in rinse-off products, because of established contact-allergy risk.
  • Lilial: A lily-of-the-valley fragrance component the EU no longer permits in cosmetics. It was a declarable fragrance allergen at Annex III entry 83 of EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009. Commission Regulation (EU) 2021/1902 deleted that entry and moved it to Annex II entry 1666 (2-(4-tert-butylbenzyl) propionaldehyde, CAS 80-54-6), prohibiting it in cosmetic products from 1 March 2022.
  • Linalool: A floral fragrance component named separately on the label. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III entry 84: a fragrance substance whose presence must be indicated in the list of ingredients above 0,001% in leave-on and 0,01% in rinse-off products, because of established contact-allergy risk.

• undeclared fragrance blendFragrance/Parfum

  • Fragrance/Parfum: A blend the label does not itemize, so what is in it cannot be read from the ingredient list. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 permits the collective term "parfum"; the SCCS Opinion on Fragrance Allergens (SCCS/1459/11) reviews the contact-allergy evidence for the substances it can contain.

• humectantGlycerin

  • Glycerin: A humectant, and one of the two ingredients a comparison of moisturiser components found made a significant difference to skin hydration. FDA OTC skin protectant monograph, 21 CFR 347.10(h), lists glycerin as a skin protectant at 20 to 45%. On the humectant half: Jeong CB, Han JY, Cho JC, Suh KD, Nam GW, "Analysis of electrical property changes of skin by oil-in-water emulsion components", Int J Cosmet Sci 2013;35(4):402-410, DOI 10.1111/ics.12059, PMID 23621673, found that "glycerine and urea showed significant skin hydration effects compared with other humectants".

• barrier lipidCeramide NG

  • Ceramide NG: One of the lipid families the skin barrier is actually built from. Feingold KR and Elias PM, "The role of ceramides in the disruption of the cutaneous permeability barrier, a common manifestation of skin disorders", J Lipid Res 2024;65(8):100593, DOI 10.1016/j.jlr.2024.100593, open access: the barrier lipid matrix "by weight is approximately 50% ceramides, 25% cholesterol, and 15% free fatty acids".