Toxic-Free Formulas

How We Go Beyond EU Regulations

Why EU Regulation Isn’t Enough

The European Union regulates thousands of chemicals used in everyday products — yet many substances under close scrutiny remain authorised.
More than 240 have already been identified by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and included in the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) — a growing register of substances with serious risks, such as:

  • Carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic (CMR) properties

  • Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT/vPvB) profiles

  • Endocrine-disrupting potential

  • Probable long-term impacts on human health and ecosystems

Examples include VOCs, PFAS, BPA, formaldehyde releasers, and phthalates — many of which remain legal in personal care, packaging, and household products.
A new EU Restrictions Roadmap aims to phase out or strictly regulate them — but change takes time.

At The Today Project, we act before we are told to — guided by precaution and transparency.

OUR FRAMEWORK

SO 16128 standard – baseline measurement for natural origin, biodegradability, and traceability.

  • Precautionary principle – exclusion of substances with potential for cumulative toxicity or ecological disruption, even when legally permitted.

  • Catalan Waste Agency guidance – avoidance of ingredients that persist in the environment, bioaccumulate, or are classified as hazardous to health under ECHA REACH (Annexes XIII & XVII).

  • Fragrance policy – a restricted olfactive palette that excludes sensitizers and endocrine disruptors.

BEYOND COMPLIANCE

We meet and exceed the strictest negative lists in the global beauty industry, ensuring our formulas are free from every substance banned or restricted by:
Sephora (Clean at Sephora), Ulta Beauty (Made Without List™), Target (Target Clean), Walmart (Made Without List), Whole Foods Market (Beauty & Body Care Standards), Credo Beauty (The Dirty List®), The Detox Market (Banned Ingredients List), NICHEBEAUTY (The Clean List), Content Beauty & Wellbeing (Content Approved), Beauty Heroes (No List), and Rite Aid (Restricted Substance List)

WE ACTIVELY MONITOR

  • ECHA SVHC Candidate List and ongoing EU Omnibus Act updates.

  • Independent research from universities, government agencies, and NGOs on human and environmental health.

  • Emerging concerns (e.g., PFAS, VOCs, BPA, formaldehyde-releasers, phthalates) even where use remains legal.

HOW DECISIONS ARE MADE

  • Hazard screen – CMR, PBT/vPvB, ED, sensitisation.

  • Exposure & use context – leave-on vs rinse-off, vulnerable user groups.

  • Environmental impact – biodegradability and fate.

  • Alternatives – equal or better performance.
    If uncertainty remains, we don’t use it.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU

Formulas with fewer compromises, greater transparency, and deep respect for both skin and planet.
Because what’s left out is just as meaningful as what stays in.