Is hydroquinone banned in EU cosmetics?
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.
Short answer: yes. Hydroquinone is prohibited in EU cosmetics by Annex II No 1339 of Regulation 1223/2009 (consolidated 18.05.2026), with one narrow exception: professional artificial nail systems at up to 0.02% after mixing for use.
The numbers
| Situation | EU rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Any cosmetic use (general) | Prohibited | Annex II No 1339 |
| Artificial nail systems, professional use only | 0.02% after mixing for use, plus “For professional use only. Avoid skin contact. Read directions for use carefully” | Annex III No 14 |
| Alpha-Arbutin formulas | Hydroquinone levels must remain as low as possible and no higher than the unavoidable trace level | Annex III No 377 |
| Arbutin formulas | Same trace-level condition | Annex III No 378 |
The arbutin entries matter for “hydroquinone-free” brightening lines: arbutin is a hydroquinone glycoside, and the EU explicitly caps the hydroquinone it can carry as an impurity. A brightening cream built on arbutin still has a hydroquinone condition attached to it.
US vs EU
The contrast is sharp. The US does not list hydroquinone on its cosmetics prohibited or restricted lists (FDA page current 2022-02-25), but any skin-lightening use runs into drug regulation — see is hydroquinone legal in US cosmetics. The EU answer is simpler: a leave-on skin-lightening product containing hydroquinone cannot be placed on the EU market at all.
Common mistakes
- Assuming a “wash-off” or “rinse” claim changes the Annex II status. It does not.
- Reading the arbutin entry as a percentage allowance for hydroquinone. It is an unavoidable-trace condition, not a tolerance.
- Believing the nail-system exception generalizes to skin products. It is professional use only, and only for artificial nail systems.
- Treating a supplier’s “EU-compliant hydroquinone blend” as possible. There is no blend percentage that makes Annex II No 1339 go away.
Sources
- Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annex II No 1339, Annex III Nos 14, 377, 378 — consolidated text 18.05.2026
- FDA, Prohibited & Restricted Ingredients in Cosmetics — fda.gov
Last verified: 2026-11-10.
Not legal advice, and not a guarantee of compliance or of acceptance by any authority.
Want this checked against your own formula? Run the free label check. Hydroquinone triggers a hard block for the EU, and arbutin lines get the trace-level condition flagged. It returns an issue list, not a print-ready label.
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