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 recordsAcid Orange 24 (CI 20170), when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1232 · 21/10/2010
Acid Red 73 (CI 27290), when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1233 · 15/10/2010
PEG-3,2',2'-di-p-phenylenediamine
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1234 · 15/10/2010
HC Red No 8 and its salts
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1239 · 21/10/2010
N,N'-Hexamethylenebis (trimethylammonium) salts, e.g. hexamethonium bromide (INN)
Source reference: Annex II, entry 124 · 20/10/2010
Tetrahydro-6-nitroquinoxaline and its salts
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1240 · 15/10/2010
Disperse Red 15, except as impurity in Disperse Violet 1
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1241 · 15/10/2010
4-Amino-3-fluorophenol
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1242 · 15/10/2010
N,N'-Dihexadecyl-N,N'-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)propanediamide; Bishydroxyethyl Biscetyl Malonamide
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1243 · 15/10/2010
1-Methyl-2,4,5-trihydroxybenzene and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1244 · 21/10/2010
2,6-Dihydroxy-4-methylpyridine and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1245 · 21/10/2010
5-Hydroxy-1,4-benzodioxane and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1246 · 21/10/2010
3,4-Methylenedioxyphenol and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1247 · 21/10/2010
3,4-Methylenedioxyaniline and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1248 · 21/10/2010
Hydroxypyridinone and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1249 · 21/10/2010
Dichloroethanes (ethylene chlorides) e.g. 1,2-Dichloroethane
Source reference: Annex II, entry 125 · 20/10/2010
3-Nitro-4-aminophenoxyethanol and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1250 · 21/10/2010
2-Methoxy-4-nitrophenol (4-Nitroguaiacol) and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1251 · 21/10/2010
CI Acid Black 131 and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1252 · 21/10/2010
1,3,5-Trihydroxybenzene (Phloroglucinol) and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1253 · 21/10/2010
1,2,4-Benzenetriacetate and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1254 · 21/10/2010
Ethanol, 2,2'-iminobis-, reaction products with epichlorohydrin and 2-nitro-1,4-benzenediamine (HC Blue No 5) and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1255 · 21/10/2010
N-Methyl-1,4-diaminoanthraquinone, reaction products with epichlorohydrin and monoethanolamine (HC Blue No 4) and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1256 · 21/10/2010
4-Aminobenzenesulfonic acid (Sulfanilic acid) and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1257 · 21/10/2010
3,3'-(Sulfonylbis(2-nitro-4,1-phenylene)imino)bis(6-(phenylamino))benzenesulfonic acid and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1258 · 15/10/2010
3(or5)-((4-(Benzylmethylamino)phenyl)azo)-1,2-(or1,4)-dimethyl-1H-1,2,4-triazolium and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1259 · 15/10/2010
Dichloroethylenes (acetylene chlorides) e.g. Vinylidene chloride (1,1-Dichloroethylene)
Source reference: Annex II, entry 126 · 20/10/2010
2,2'-((3-Chloro-4-((2,6-dichloro-4-nitrophenyl)azo)phenyl)imino)bisethanol (Disperse Brown 1) and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1260 · 21/10/2010
Benzothiazolium, 2-[[4-[ethyl(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]phenyl]azo]-6-methoxy-3-methyl- and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1261 · 15/10/2010
2-[(4-Chloro-2-nitrophenyl)azo)-N-(2-methoxyphenyl)-3-oxobutanamide (Pigment Yellow 73) and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1262 · 21/10/2010
2,2'-[(3,3'-dichloro[1,1'-biphenyl]-4,4'-diyl)bis(azo)]bis[3-oxo-N-phenylbutanamide] (Pigment Yellow 12) and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1263 · 21/10/2010
2,2'-(1,2-Ethenediyl)bis[5-((4-ethoxyphenyl)azo]benzenesulfonic acid) and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1264 · 15/10/2010
2,3-Dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-6-[(4-(phenylazo)-1-naphthelenyl)azo]-1H-pyrimidine (Solvent Black 3) and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1265 · 21/10/2010
3(or5)-[[4-[(7-amino-1-hydroxy-3-sulphonato-2-naphthyl)azo]-1-naphthyl]azo]salicylic acid and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1266 · 15/10/2010
2-Naphthalenesulfonic acid, 7-(benzoylamino)-4-hydroxy-3-[[4-[(4-sulfophenyl)azo]phenyl]azo]- and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1267 · 15/10/2010
(micro-((7,7'-Iminobis(4-hydroxy-3-((2-hydroxy-5-(N-methylsulphamoyl)phenyl)azo)naphthalene-2-sulphonato))(6-)))dicuprate and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1268 · 15/10/2010
3-[(4-(Acetylamino)phenyl)azo]-4-hydroxy-7-[[[[5-hydroxy-6-(phenylazo)-7-sulfo-2-naphthalenyl]amino]carbonyl]amino]-2-naphthalenesulfonic acid and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1269 · 15/10/2010
Lysergide (INN) (LSD) and its salts
Source reference: Annex II, entry 127 · 20/10/2010
2-Naphthalenesulfonic acid, 7,7'-(carbonyldiimino)bis(4-hydroxy-3-[[2-sulfo-4-[(4-sulfophenyl)azo]phenyl]azo]-, and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1270 · 21/10/2010
Ethanaminium, N-(4-[bis[4-(diethylamino)phenyl]methylene]-2,5-cyclohexadien-1-ylidine)-N-ethyl- and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1271 · 15/10/2010
3H-Indolium, 2-[[(4-methoxyphenyl)methylhydrazono]methyl]-1,3,3-trimethyl- and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1272 · 15/10/2010
3H-Indolium, 2-(2-((2,4-dimethoxyphenyl)amino)ethenyl]-1,3,3-trimethyl- and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1273 · 15/10/2010
Nigrosine spirit soluble (Solvent Black 5) and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1274 · 21/10/2010
Phenoxazin-5-ium, 3,7-bis(diethylamino)-, and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1275 · 21/10/2010
Benzo[a]phenoxazin-7-ium, 9-(dimethylamino)-, and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1276 · 15/10/2010
6-Amino-2-((2,4-dimethylphenyl)-1H-benz[de]isoquinoline-1,3(2H)-dione (Solvent Yellow 44) and its salts, when used as a substance in hair dye products
Source reference: Annex II, entry 1277 · 21/10/2010
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.
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.