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Yes. Hydroquinone is on the EU Annex II prohibited list (No 1339), with one narrow exception for professional artificial nail systems. Arbutin and alpha-arbutin formulas also have trace-level hydroquinone conditions. What the rule actually says.

Hydroquinone is not on FDA's cosmetics prohibited list, but there is no OTC monograph for it either: FDA treats skin-lightening hydroquinone products as unapproved drugs and has warned that its safety concerns extend to cosmetic use. What the FDA actually says.

Both the US and the EU allow a two-block layout: ingredients above 1% in descending order, then everything at 1% or less in any order, then color additives. But the under-1% block cannot float anywhere in the list. The rule text, side by side.

What the 1% EU cap does and does not tell you about phenoxyethanol safety, how the US regulates it, and which questions a formulator should ask before raising the dose.

Manufacturers and processors of cosmetics distributed in the US must register each facility with FDA and renew every two years from the initial registration date. Small businesses can be exempt, with four product carve-outs. How Cosmetics Direct, FEI numbers and renewals work.

What MoCRA puts on a US cosmetic label, what it puts in a filing instead, and which parts are still waiting on FDA regulations. Responsible person, professional-use statement, adverse-event contact, registration and listing.