On April 27, 2026, the European Commission adopted Regulation (EU) 2026/909, which amends the landmark EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. This update tightens restrictions or changes authorization statuses for several key chemical ingredients based on human health risk assessments carried out by the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS).
Notably, Triphenyl Phosphate, which is heavily used as a plasticizer, has been added to the prohibited substances list (Annex II) due to potential risks regarding genotoxicity and endocrine disruption; a complete ban on making non-compliant products available on the market will take effect on July 1, 2028. Conversely, Silver zinc zeolite has been removed from the prohibited list and added to the list of allowed preservatives (Annex V) with specific concentration limits for powder foundations and spray deodorants.
The regulation also updated maximum concentration restrictions for several other ingredients in Annex III. Aluminium-containing ingredients are assigned strict percentage thresholds depending on whether they are used in non-aerosol deodorants, toothpastes, or lip products. Additionally, upper maximum limits are enforced for fragrance ingredients like Benzyl Salicylate, Citral, and Acetylated Vetiver Oil, as well as various hair dyes like HC Blue No 18, HC Red No 18, HC Yellow No 16, and Hydroxypropyl-p-phenylenediamine. Finally, a safe maximum threshold of 10 ppm is instituted for the unavoidable contaminant di-n-hexyl phthalate (DnHexP) within the UV filter DHHB to minimize human health risks while maintaining economic feasibility for manufacturers.
IFRA has also published a letter regarding this: IFRA letter 1236
