Safety Notices

The HPRA publishes safety information on its website, including notices relating to cosmetic products, which have been notified through the RAPEX system. These notices may relate to specific products or batches of products. The HSE, along with the HPRA, monitors for the presence of these specific products or batches products on the Irish market.

What is the RAPEX system?

Cosmetic products presenting a risk to consumers are notified to European Member States and the European Commission through the EU rapid alert system or 'RAPEX'. The European Commission publishes RAPEX notifications for all product types in the European Union. The HPRA, as competent authority for cosmetic products in Ireland, reviews  RAPEX notifications concerning cosmetic products to identify those that could be on the Irish market and may need to be recalled. To date, in the vast majority of cases, there is no evidence to suggest the impacted products or batches of products were supplied to the Irish market.

Where are the latest safety notices?

The European Commission publishes RAPEX notifications for all product types in the European Union on a weekly basis. You can search previous RAPEX notifications relating to cosmetics using the search engine on the European Commission website.

2024
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in July 2024
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in June 2024
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in May 2024
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in April 2024
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in March 2024
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in February 2024
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in January 2024

2023
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in December 2023
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in November 2023
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in October 2023
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in September 2023
Weekly RAPEX notification for cosmetics published in August 2023
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in July 2023
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in June 2023
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in May 2023
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in April 2023
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in March 2023
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in February 2023
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in January 2023

2022
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in December 2022
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in November 2022
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published October 2022
Weekly RAPEX Notification for Cosmetics Published in September 2022
Weekly RAPEX Notification for Cosmetics Published in August 2022
Weekly RAPEX Notification for Cosmetics Published in July 2022
Weekly RAPEX Notification for Cosmetics Published in June 2022
Weekly RAPEX Notifications for Cosmetics Published in May 2022
Weekly RAPEX Notifications for Cosmetics Published in April 2022
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in March 2022
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in February 2022
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in January 2022
 
 

2021

Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in December 2021
Weekly RAPEX Notifications for cosmetics published in November 2021
Weekly RAPEX Notifications for cosmetics published in October 2021
Weekly RAPEX Notifications for cosmetics published in September 2021

Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in July 2021
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in June 2021
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in May 2021
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in April 2021
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in March 2021
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in February 2021
Weekly RAPEX notifications for cosmetics published in January 2021

 

Occasionally the HPRA will publish additional safety notices on this page.

What to do if you are a retailer or a distributor?

If you identify one of these products as part of your inventory, firstly clarify if the batch number is the same as that notified. Where the batch number is the same, you should quarantine stocks and complete the consumer alert form. 

What to do if you are a consumer?

If you are a consumer and you have purchased one of these products, firstly clarify if the batch number is the same as that notified. Where the batch number is the same, stop using the product and return it to the place of purchase. Notify the HPRA Healthcare Products Distribution Section of the details of where the product was purchased using the Cosmetic RAPEX reaction form.

Cosmetic RAPEX reaction form

Contact us for further advice at 01 6764971 or by email to cosmetics@hpra.ie.

 

Safety Notices

Date Title Type
15/12/2023 Product recall - Reminder - ToothFaerie toothpaste range Recall
10/08/2023 Reminder of serious health risks with ‘Melanotan 2’ self-tan products Advisory
23/02/2023 Product Recall - ToothFaerie Toothpaste Range Recall
31/01/2023 Product Safety Notice - ToothFaerie toothpaste range Advisory
27/06/2022 Risks of using Melanotan 2 Advisory
27/10/2017 CT Imaging of Patients reliant on Electronic Medical Devices Advisory
22/08/2017 Paraffin-based skin products. Priority 2 – Warning Warning
29/04/2015 Parabens in Cosmetic Products Advisory
29/04/2015 Methylisothiazolinone (MI) in Cosmetic Products Advisory
07/11/2012 Communication on tooth whitening products 3rd Party Publications