Lightening skin tone is an ancient and well-documented practice, and remains common practice among many cultures. Whitening agents such as corticosteroids, tretinoin and hydroquinone are medically applied to effectively lighten the skin tone of hyperpigmented lesions. However, when these agents are used cosmetically, they are associated with a variety of side-effect. Alternative agents, such as arbutin and its derivatives kojic acid and nicotinamide have been subsequently developed for cosmetic purposes. Unfortunately, some cosmetics contain whitening agents that are banned for use in cosmetic products. This article provides an overview of the mode of action and potential side-effects of cosmetic legal and illegal whitening agents, and the pattern of use of these types of products. Finally, an EU analysis of the health problems due to the presence of illegal products on the market is summarized.

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This paper reports on the identification and full chemical characterization of the substance colloquially called “etonitazepyne” or “N‐pyrrolidino etonitazene” (2‐(4‐ethoxybenzyl)‐5‐nitro‐1‐(2‐(pyrrolidin‐1‐yl)ethyl)‐1H‐benzo[d]imidazole), a potent NPS opioid of the 5‐nitrobenzimidazole class. Identification of etonitazepyne was performed, on a sample purchased during routine monitoring of the drug market, using GC‐MS, HRAM LC‐MS/MS, 1H NMR, and FTIR. The chromatographic data, together with the FTIR data, indicated the presence of a highly pure compound and already indicated a benzimidazole structure. The specific benzimidazole regio‐isomer was confirmed using 1H NMR spectroscopy, resulting in the unambiguous identification of etonitazepyne.

Background: Allergenic fragrances are present in a wide range of products but they are not regulated in all industries to the same extent. In Europe, absorbent hygiene products (AHPs) are only covered by the general product safety directive and therefore fragrances can be used freely, whereas in cosmetics and toys the use of these ingredients is regulated.Method: An analytical method was developed to evaluate the presence of 24 sensitizing fragrances in AHPs. This method allows simultaneous identification and quantification and was validated using the total error approach with an acceptance value of ±15%.Results: The validated method was applied to evaluate 10 scented AHPs consisting of four tampons, three panty liners, and three sanitary pads. Eight allergenic fragrances were identified in these products and five products contained at least one allergen above 10 μg/g. Conclusion:The presence of these allergens is not communicated to the consumer. This is, however, a strict requirement in other industries (eg, cosmetics, toys) to ensure adequate consumer protection. Knowing that the exposed area is more susceptible to allergens and irritants, the presence of these allergens should be disclosed.

Quality control of CBD oils on the Belgium market showed that the CBD content not always corresponds to the label claim. There is a pressing need to develop new analytical methods specifically developed to the assay of such oily samples. Analytical issues are, however, encountered for routine analyses due to the matrix complexity, high cost of cannabinoid standards and low Δ9-THC concentrations. An oily matrix could cause technical damages to analytical instruments and reduce the lifetime of the chromatographic columns. This paper proposes a procedure combining a sample cleanup by QuEChERS, removing the oily matrix, followed by a validated MRM GC-MS/MS method for the routine analysis of CBD oil samples. Eighteen CBD samples were selected on the Belgium market for analysis. This method allows the quantification of CBD, the legality check for the Δ9-THC content by a CBN standard and the screening of seven other cannabinoids namely CBN, CBDV, CBT, CBC, Δ8-THC, THCV and CBG. The method was validated at three concentration levels (0.5-1-2% (w/v)) for CBD and (0.05-0.1-0.2% (w/v)) for CBN. The detection limits for CBT, CBD, CBC, Δ8-THC, CBN and for the other cannabinoids of interest, were 10 and 14 ng/mL respectively. The accuracy profile values for CBD and CBN showed that the β-expectation tolerance intervals did not exceed the acceptance limits of ± 20%, meaning that 90% of future measurements will be included within this error range.