UK Amends Cosmetic Regulations: Bans 17 Ingredients and Updates Labelling for Formaldehyde-Releasing Preservatives

In October 2025, the UK submitted a draft regulation to the WTO proposing to ban 17 cosmetic substances and lower the labelling threshold for formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. Following the consultation period, the UK laid the finalized regulation before Parliament on January 15, 2026, under the title The Cosmetic Products Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (Restriction of Chemical Substances) (Amendment and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2026.¹

The Regulation introduces the following amendments, with changes from the previous list highlighted in red.

List of Prohibited Ingredients: Addition of 17 Substances

The prohibited ingredients list has been updated to include 17 new substances. Among them, 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor (4-MBC) has been identified by the Scientific Advisory Group on Chemical Safety of Non-Food and Non-Medicinal Consumer Products (SAG-CS) as having endocrine-disrupting properties, with additional concerns regarding its potential genotoxicity. The remaining 16 substances are classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic (CMR).