Kojic Acid
5-Hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-4H-pyrane-4-one
Kojic Acid is listed in Annex III and may only be used under the conditions shown in this record. Maximum concentration in this record: 1 %.
Reading this entry
Kojic acid became a restricted substance in 2024: 1% in face and hand products, and nowhere else. Two deadlines in 2025 close the transition from either end of the supply chain.
- 1%, and only in face and hand products.
- Body products, hair products and everything else are outside the permitted product types.
- 1 February 2025 stops non-compliant products being placed on the market.
- 1 November 2025 stops them being made available, which reaches stock already with distributors and retailers.
The concentration is the part that gets quoted and the product-type condition is the part that decides most cases. Kojic acid may be used at up to 1%, and only in face and hand products. A body serum at 0.5% is not a conservative reading of this entry; it is outside it, because the product type is not among the permitted ones.
Regulation (EU) 2024/996 introduced the restriction, and the two dates do different jobs. From 1 February 2025 a non-compliant product may not be placed on the Union market — the first supply by a manufacturer or importer. From 1 November 2025 it may not be made available, which covers onward sale by anyone holding stock. A product lawfully placed before February could still be sold until November, and not after.
Checked against
Chemical identity and properties
Kojic Acid
Kojic acid is a pyranone that is 4H-pyran substituted by a hydroxy group at position 5, a hydroxymethyl group at position 2 and an oxo group at position 4. It has been isolated from the fungus Aspergillus oryzae. It has a role as an EC 1.14.18.1 (tyrosinase) inhibitor, a NF-kappaB inhibitor, an Aspergillus metabolite, a skin lightening agent, an EC 1.10.3.1 (catechol oxidase) inhibitor, an EC 1.10.3.2 (laccase) inhibitor, an EC 1.13.11.24 (quercetin 2,3-dioxygenase) inhibitor and an EC 1.4.3.3 (D-amino-acid oxidase) inhibitor. It is a member of 4-pyranones, a primary alcohol and an enol. It derives from a hydride of a 4H-pyran. — ChEBI
- IUPAC name
- 5-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)pyran-4-one
- Molecular formula
- C6H6O4
- Molecular weight
- 142.11 g/mol
- Exact mass
- 142.02660867 Da
- XLogP3
- -0.9
- Topological polar surface area
- 66.8 Ų
- Hydrogen-bond donors
- 2
- Hydrogen-bond acceptors
- 4
- Covalent units
- 1
- Defined stereocentres
- 0
Also known as
16 more reported names
External database identifiers
- ChEBI:CHEBI:43572
- ChEMBL:CHEMBL287556
- EPA DTXSID:DTXSID2040236
- PubMed:23353126
- PubMed:23091364
- PubMed:23089353
- PubMed:23063404
- PubMed:23054709
- PubMed:23016291
- PubMed:23007519
- PubMed:22952594
- PubMed:22939001
- PubMed:22926028
- PubMed:22909023
- PubMed:22905751
Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-09-02 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.
Record details
Maximum concentration
1 %
Product type
Other restrictions
From 1 February 2025 cosmetic products containing that substance and not complying with the conditions shall not be placed on the Union market. From 1 November 2025 cosmetic products containing that substance and not complying with the conditions shall not be made available on the Union market.
INCI glossary name
Kojic Acid
Chemical name
5-Hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-4H-pyrane-4-one
Regulatory information
SCCS opinions
Identified ingredients
Key data
Inventory links for Kojic Acid
Related records for Kojic Acid
Direct matches are limited for this record, so nearby entries from Annex III are shown as well.
Retinol; Retinyl Acetate; Retinyl Palmitate
Pinene
Phenol, 2-methoxy- 4-(2-propenyl)-, acetate
What Annex III means for Kojic Acid
Kojic Acid is a restricted substance under Annex III of EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009. Its use in cosmetics is only permitted under the specific conditions set out in the entry above, including applicable concentration limits, product type restrictions and required warning statements.
When including this substance in a formulation, all conditions — maximum concentration, product scope and warning labels — must be met simultaneously. Compliance with one condition does not override the others.
This record is linked to 1 CosIng inventory ingredient for name and identifier cross-reference. The page also surfaces 12 related annex records with overlapping identifiers, annex logic or naming patterns.
Compliance checklist
- Ensure formulation concentration does not exceed: 1 %
- Confirm product type compatibility: Face and hand products
- Document conditions of use in the Product Information File (PIF).
Frequently asked questions
Source note for Annex III record Kojic Acid
This page summarizes one Annex III record for Kojic Acid from public European Commission cosmetic materials and adds linked inventory or identifier matches when available.
Use this record page to review Annex III conditions for Kojic Acid, but confirm any final regulatory decision against the current official annex wording and source files.
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