ELINCS – European List of Notified Chemical Substances

What Is ELINCS?

ELINCS stands for European List of Notified Chemical Substances. It is a European inventory of substances that were notified under Directive 67/548/EEC.

The list relates to substances that were marketed after the period covered by the EINECS inventory and were subsequently notified under the applicable European chemicals legislation.

ELINCS and Chemical Identification

ELINCS was developed as part of the European system for identifying and regulating chemical substances. Substances included in the ELINCS inventory were assigned an EC number, which can be used as an identifier alongside other information such as:

• Chemical name
• CAS Registry Number
• INCI name, where applicable
• EC number
• Supplier and raw material information

These identifiers can be useful when preparing technical, safety, and regulatory documentation for cosmetic ingredients.

ELINCS and EINECS

ELINCS is distinct from EINECS (European Inventory of Existing Commercial Chemical Substances).

EINECS covers substances that were considered to be on the European market during the historical inventory period, while ELINCS covers substances subsequently notified under the relevant notification system.

Today, European chemical substance identification is primarily managed within the framework of REACH and related European chemical inventories.

Relevance to Cosmetics

For cosmetic formulation and regulatory work, an EC number can help establish the identity of a raw material or chemical substance. However, an EC number alone does not determine whether a substance is permitted for a particular cosmetic use.

Cosmetic ingredients must also be assessed according to the applicable cosmetic legislation, restrictions, purity requirements, and other relevant regulatory information.

Source: https://ec.europa.eu/