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 recordsDistillates (petroleum), clay-treated middle, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 874 · 15/10/2010
Distillates (petroleum), hydrotreated middle, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 875 · 15/10/2010
Gas oils (petroleum), hydrodesulfurized, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 876 · 15/10/2010
Distillates (petroleum), hydrodesulfurised middle, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 877 · 15/10/2010
Distillates (petroleum), catalytic reformer fractionator residue, high-boiling, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 878 · 15/10/2010
Distillates (petroleum), catalytic reformer fractionator residue, intermediate-boiling, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 879 · 15/10/2010
Cyclophosphamide (INN) and its salts
Source reference: Annex II, entry 88 · 17/10/2010
Distillates (petroleum), catalytic reformer fractionator residue, low-boiling, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 880 · 15/10/2010
Alkanes, C12-26-branched and linear, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 881 · 15/10/2010
Distillates (petroleum), highly refined middle, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 882 · 15/10/2010
Distillates (petroleum), catalytic reformer, heavy arom. conc., except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 883 · 15/10/2010
Gas oils, paraffinic, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 884 · 15/10/2010
Naphtha (petroleum), solvent-refined hydrodesulfurised heavy, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 885 · 15/10/2010
Hydrocarbons, C16-20, hydrotreated middle distillate, distn. Lights, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 886 · 15/10/2010
Hydrocarbons, C12-20, hydrotreated paraffinic, distn. lights, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 887 · 15/10/2010
Hydrocarbons, C11-17, solvent-extd. light naphthenic, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 888 · 15/10/2010
Gas oils, hydrotreated, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 889 · 15/10/2010
Mannomustine (INN) and its salts
Source reference: Annex II, entry 89 · 17/10/2010
Distillates (petroleum), carbon-treated light paraffinic, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 890 · 15/10/2010
Distillates (petroleum), intermediate paraffinic, carbon-treated, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 891 · 15/10/2010
Distillates (petroleum), intermediate paraffinic, clay-treated, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 892 · 15/10/2010
Lubricating greases, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 893 · 15/10/2010
Slack wax (petroleum), except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 894 · 15/10/2010
Slack wax (petroleum), acid-treated, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 895 · 15/10/2010
Slack wax (petroleum), clay-treated, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 896 · 15/10/2010
Slack wax (petroleum), hydrotreated, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 897 · 15/10/2010
Slack wax (petroleum), low-melting, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 898 · 15/10/2010
Slack wax (petroleum), low-melting, hydrotreated, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 899 · 15/10/2010
Thyropropic acid (INN) and its salts
Source reference: Annex II, entry 9 · 17/10/2010
Butanilicaine (INN) and its salts
Source reference: Annex II, entry 90 · 17/10/2010
Slack wax (petroleum), low-melting, carbon-treated, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 900 · 15/10/2010
Slack wax (petroleum), low-melting, clay-treated, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 901 · 15/10/2010
Slack wax (petroleum), low-melting, silicic acid-treated, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 902 · 15/10/2010
Slack wax (petroleum), carbon-treated, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 903 · 15/10/2010
Petrolatum, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 904 · 15/10/2010
Petrolatum (petroleum), oxidized, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 905 · 15/10/2010
Petrolatum (petroleum), alumina-treated, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 906 · 15/10/2010
Petrolatum (petroleum), hydrotreated, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 907 · 15/10/2010
Petrolatum (petroleum), carbon-treated, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 908 · 15/10/2010
Petrolatum (petroleum), silicic acid-treated, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 909 · 15/10/2010
Petrolatum (petroleum), clay-treated, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen
Source reference: Annex II, entry 910 · 15/10/2010
Distillates (petroleum), light catalytic cracked
Source reference: Annex II, entry 911 · 15/10/2010
Distillates (petroleum), intermediate catalytic cracked
Source reference: Annex II, entry 912 · 15/10/2010
Distillates (petroleum), light thermal cracked
Source reference: Annex II, entry 913 · 15/10/2010
Distillates (petroleum), hydrodesulfurised light catalytic cracked
Source reference: Annex II, entry 914 · 15/10/2010
Distillates (petroleum), light steam-cracked naphtha
Source reference: Annex II, entry 915 · 15/10/2010
Distillates (petroleum), cracked steam-cracked petroleum distillates
Source reference: Annex II, entry 916 · 15/10/2010
Gas oils (petroleum), steam-cracked
Source reference: Annex II, entry 917 · 15/10/2010
Distillates (petroleum), hydrodesulfurised thermal cracked middle
Source reference: Annex II, entry 918 · 15/10/2010
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.
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.