10 Banned Cosmetic Ingredients in the EU (and Why)
EU Regulation 1223/2009, Annex II lists over 1,600 substances that are banned from cosmetic products. These aren't theoretical risks — products containing these substances are regularly found and removed from the market.
Here are 10 of the most commonly found banned substances:
1. Lilial (Butylphenyl Methylpropional)
Found in: Perfumes, deodorants, shampoos
Banned since: March 2022
Why: Classified as toxic to reproduction (CMR category 1B). Despite the ban, it still appears in products imported from outside the EU.
2. Mercury and its compounds
Found in: Skin-lightening creams
Why: Neurotoxic. Can cause kidney damage and skin disorders. Still found in products from some non-EU markets.
3. Hydroquinone (above 0.3%)
Found in: Skin-lightening products
Why: Can cause permanent skin damage (ochronosis), liver and kidney damage at high concentrations.
4. Formaldehyde (above 0.2%)
Found in: Nail hardeners, hair straightening treatments
Why: Classified as carcinogenic. Can cause allergic reactions and respiratory issues.
5. Lead acetate
Found in: Hair dyes (mainly from non-EU sources)
Why: Lead is a cumulative neurotoxin with no safe level of exposure.
6. Methanol
Found in: Counterfeit perfumes
Why: Highly toxic. Can cause blindness, organ failure, and death.
7. Bithionol
Found in: Some antibacterial soaps
Why: Causes photoallergic reactions — severe skin damage when exposed to sunlight.
8. Chloroform
Found in: Contaminated products (not intentionally added)
Why: Carcinogenic. Can cause liver and kidney damage.
9. Resorcinol (above limits in hair dyes)
Found in: Hair dyes
Why: Endocrine disruptor. Allowed only in specific hair dye formulations at controlled concentrations.
10. BMHCA (Lysmeral)
Found in: Fragrances
Banned since: 2022
Why: Reproductive toxicity, similar to Lilial.
How to Check Your Products
BeautyGuard automatically checks every ingredient against the EU banned substances list. When you scan a product or analyze ingredients, any banned substance gets a score of 0 and is highlighted in red.
Our database includes all 28,544 ingredients from the official EU CosIng database, cross-referenced with Annex II banned substances and Annex III-VI restrictions.
"If a product contains a banned substance, its overall safety score is capped at 25/100 — regardless of how safe the other ingredients are."