European Union cosmetic ingredient regulations
EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 annexes and the CosIng discovery database.
- Regulator
- European Commission
- Source language
- English and EU languages
- Coverage version
- Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 consolidated to 1 May 2026
What this list is
The EU list is not one list. Regulation 1223/2009 splits substances across five annexes that answer different questions, and reading the wrong one is the most common way to get an EU answer wrong.
- Annex II prohibits 1,739 substances outright.
- Annex III permits 373 substances only within stated limits, product types and warnings.
- Annexes IV, V and VI are positive lists: 154 colourants, 54 preservatives, 33 UV filters.
- For those three categories, absence from the annex means not permitted — the opposite of Annex II's logic.
- CosIng is a discovery database, not the law; the annexes as published are.
Most markets on this site publish one list. The EU publishes five, and they do not work the same way. Annex II names substances that may not be used at all. Annex III names substances that may be used, but only within a concentration limit, for stated product types, and often with a warning that must appear on the label. Annexes IV, V and VI are positive lists for colourants, preservatives and UV filters.
That last distinction reverses the logic and catches people out. For a substance in general, absence from Annex II is not permission — nothing has been decided about it. For a preservative, absence from Annex V is a decision: it may not be used as a preservative in a cosmetic product. The same silence means opposite things depending on which annex you are reading.
CosIng is worth naming separately, because it is what most searches land on. It is the Commission's database for finding ingredients and their annex references, and it is genuinely useful for that. It is not the legal text. When CosIng and the published annex disagree — usually because an amendment has come into force and the database has not caught up — the annex governs.
An Annex III entry is also more than a number. The limit, the product-type condition and the warning text travel together, and quoting the concentration without the condition it applies to produces an answer that is right about the figure and wrong about the product.
Checked against
Official ingredient records
2353 matching recordsHydroxylammonium chloride; hydroxylamine hydrochloride [1]; Bis(hydroxylammonium) sulfate; hydroxylamine sulfate (2:1) [2]
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1506 · 30/07/2020
Diaminotoluene, methyl-phenylenediamine, technical product-reaction mass of [4-methyl-m-phenylenediamine and 2-methyl-m-phenylenediamine]
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1507 · 30/07/2020
Mepanipyrim; 4-methyl-N-phenyl-6-(1-propynyl)-2-pyrimidinamine
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1508 · 30/07/2020
Hydroxylammonium hydrogensulfate; hydroxylamine sulfate(1:1) [1]; Hydroxylamine phosphate [2]; Hydroxylamine dihydrogenphosphate [3]; Hydroxylamine 4-methylbenzenesulfonate [4]
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1509 · 30/07/2020
Dinitrophenol isomers
Source reference: Annex II, entry 151 · 15/10/2010
(3-Chloro-2-hydroxypropyl) trimethylammonium chloride
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1510 · 30/07/2020
Biphenyl-3,3',4,4'-tetrayltetraamine; diaminobenzidine
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1511 · 30/07/2020
Piperazine hydrochloride [1]; Piperazine dihydrochloride [2]; Piperazine phosphate [3]
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1512 · 30/07/2020
3-(Piperazin-1-yl)-benzo[d]isothiazole hydrochloride
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1513 · 30/07/2020
2-Ethylphenylhydrazine hydrochloride
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1514 · 30/07/2020
(2-Chloroethyl)(3-hydroxypropyl)ammonium chloride
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1515 · 30/07/2020
4-[(3-Chlorophenyl)(1H-imidazol-1-yl)methyl]-1,2-benzenediamine dihydrochloride
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1516 · 30/07/2020
Chloro-N,N-dimethylformiminium chloride
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1517 · 30/07/2020
7-Methoxy-6-(3-morpholin-4-yl-propoxy)-3H-quinazolin-4-one
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1518 · 30/07/2020
Reaction products of diisopropanolamine with formaldehyde (1:4)
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1519 · 30/07/2020
3-Chloro-4-(3-fluorobenzyloxy)aniline
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1520 · 30/07/2020
Ethidium bromide; 3,8-diamino-1-ethyl-6-phenylphenantridinium bromide
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1521 · 30/07/2020
(R,S)-2-Amino-3,3-dimethylbutane amide
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1522 · 30/07/2020
3-Amino-9-ethyl carbazole; 9-ethylcarbazol-3-ylamine
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1523 · 30/07/2020
(6R-trans)-1-((7-Ammonio-2-carboxylato-8-oxo-5-thia-1-azabicyclo-[4.2.0]oct-2-en-3-yl)methyl)pyridinium iodide
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1524 · 30/07/2020
Forchlorfenuron (ISO); 1-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-3-phenylurea
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1525 · 30/07/2020
Tetrahydro-1,3-dimethyl-1H-pyrimidin-2-one; dimethyl propyleneurea
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1526 · 30/07/2020
Ketoconazole; 1-[4-[4-[[(2SR,4RS)-2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl]methoxy]phenyl]piperazin-1-yl]ethanone
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1528 · 30/07/2020
Metconazole (ISO); (1RS,5RS;1RS,5SR)-5-(4-chlorobenzyl)-2,2-dimethyl-1-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-ylmethyl)cyclopentanol
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1529 · 30/07/2020
Dimevamide (INN) and its salts
Source reference: Annex II, entry 153 · 20/10/2010
Potassium 1-methyl-3-morpholinocarbonyl-4-[3-(1-methyl-3-morpholinocarbonyl-5-oxo-2-pyrazolin-4-ylidene)-1-propenyl]pyrazole-5-olate
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1530 · 30/07/2020
N,N',N''-Tris(2-methyl-2,3-epoxypropyl)-perhydro-2,4,6-oxo-1,3,5-triazine
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1531 · 30/07/2020
Trimethylopropane tri(3-aziridinylpropanoate); (TAZ)
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1532 · 30/07/2020
4,4'-Methylenediphenyl diisocyanate; diphenylmethane-4,4'-diisocyanate [1]; 2,2'-Methylenediphenyl diisocyanate; diphenylmethane-2,2'-diisocyanate [2]; o-(p-Isocyanatobenzyl)phenyl isocyanate; diphenylmethane-2,4'-diisocyanate [3]; Methylenediphenyl diisocyanate [4]
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1533 · 30/07/2020
Cinidon ethyl (ISO); ethyl (Z)-2-chloro-3-[2-chloro-5-(cyclohex-1-ene-1,2-dicarboximido)phenyl]acrylate
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1534 · 30/07/2020
N-[6,9-Dihydro-9-[[2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl)ethoxy]methyl]-6-oxo-1H-purin-2-yl]acetamide
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1535 · 30/07/2020
Dimoxystrobin (ISO); (E)-2-(methoxyimino)-N-methyl-2-[a-(2,5-xylyloxy)-o-tolyl]acetamide
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1536 · 30/07/2020
N,N-(Dimethylamino)thioacetamide hydrochloride
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1537 · 30/07/2020
Reaction mass of: 2,2'-[(3,3'-dichloro[1,1'-biphenyl]-4,4'-diyl)bis(azo)]bis[N-(2,4-dimethylphenyl)]-3-oxo-butanamide; 2-[[3,3'-dichloro-4'-[[1[[(2,4-dimethylphenyl)amino]carbonyl]-2-oxopropyl]azo][1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl]azo]-N-(2-methylphenyl)-3-oxo-butanamide; 2-[[3,3'-dichloro-4'-[[1[[(2,4-dimethylphenyl)amino]carbonyl]-2-oxopropyl]azo][1,1'- biphenyl]-4-yl]azo]-N-(2-carboxylphenyl)-3- oxo-butanamide
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1538 · 30/07/2020
Petroleum, coal, tar and natural gas and their derivatives generated using distillation and/or other processing methods if they contain = 0,1 % w/w benzene
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1539 · 31/07/2020
Diphenylpyraline (INN) and its salts
Source reference: Annex II, entry 154 · 20/10/2010
Petroleum, coal, tar and natural gas and their derivatives generated using distillation and/or other processing methods if they contain = 0,005 % w/w benzo[a]pyrene
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1540 · 31/07/2020
Petroleum, coal, tar and natural gas and their derivatives generated using distillation and/or other processing methods if they contain = 0,1 % w/w benzene or if they contain = 0,005 % w/w benzo[a]pyrene
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1541 · 30/07/2020
Petroleum, coal, tar and natural gas and their derivatives generated using distillation and/or other processing methods if they contain = 0,1 % w/w 1,3-butadiene
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1542 · 31/07/2020
Tris[2-chloro-1-(chloromethyl)ethyl] phosphate
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1543 · 30/07/2020
Hexabromocyclododecane [1]; 1,2,5,6,9,10-Hexabromocyclododecane [2]
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1546 · 30/07/2020
Abamectin (combination of avermectin B1a and avermectin B1b) (ISO) [1]; Avermectin B1a [2]
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1548 · 30/07/2020
4-tert-Butylbenzoic acid
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1549 · 30/07/2020
Market coverage contract
Complete annex dataset- Included scope
- Annexes II–VI: prohibited and restricted substances, colourants, preservatives and UV filters.
- If no match is found
- No annex match only means that these five annexes did not return a match; CosIng identity data and other EU obligations still need review.
Complete verification checklist
- Confirm the exact INCI/CAS/EC identity.
- Review every matching Annex II–VI row and its conditions.
- Check SCCS opinions, CMR/nanomaterial rules and later amendments.
- Verify product classification, claims, labelling and responsible-person duties.
How European Union differs from other markets
Comparing this market's imported rules against every other market's for the same substance. A market with no imported rule for a substance is left out of that comparison rather than treated as permitting it.
A formula cleared elsewhere can fail here.
and 22 more — see the full comparison
Permitted here under conditions and prohibited, or more tightly held, elsewhere — so a formula built for this market may not travel.
and 103 more — see the full comparison
Official sources and legal role
PubChem PUG-View annotations
Attributed physical-property, hazard, environmental, use and literature annotations for uniquely matched PubChem compounds
Legal meaning: Scientific context aggregated by PubChem; individual values retain their named depositor or publication source
EMBL-EBI ChEBI 2.0
Curated definitions, chemical classes, roles, names, relationships and cross-references
Legal meaning: Curated scientific ontology; not a cosmetics permission or prohibition list
FDA Global Substance Registration System
UNII identifiers, preferred names, substance types, codes and public substance relationships
Legal meaning: Identity registry only; UNII availability does not imply FDA review or approval
Cosmetic Ingredient Review safety assessments
Expert Panel conclusions, assessed ingredient groups, use conditions, dates and report documents
Legal meaning: Independent expert review considered by FDA; not a government approval or binding market rule
EU Safety Gate cosmetic product alerts
Published cosmetic product alerts, notifying country, risk, product identifiers and corrective measures
Legal meaning: Official market-surveillance alerts; not proof that a named ingredient caused an incident
Available language: English and EU languages
What this market page can answer
Source and authority
Identify the official material and the regulator responsible for it: European Commission.
Language and scope
See whether usable English or bilingual material exists and what the mapped source actually covers. Current source language: English and EU languages.
Evidence status
Browse ingredient-level records imported from official sources. Each row states whether it passed deterministic source checks or human editorial review.
How to verify an ingredient for this market
- Search the ingredient by INCI name, CAS number or EC number and record the exact identity.
- Open each official source above and check the current version, product scope, concentration limits and required warnings.
- Confirm effective dates and whether an English text is official, reviewed or only contextual.
- Treat a missing local match as unknown, never as permission or a safety conclusion.