Cosmetic Ingredients Added to the GB Mandatory Classification List

On 12 March 2024, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) added 25 chemical substances to the GB Mandatory Classification List (MCL).  This introduces new mandatory classifications under Article 37 of the GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation for these substances.

Below is a list of substances which have an INCI name and may therefore be used as cosmetic ingredients that have a proposed Carcinogen, Mutagen or toxic for Reprotoxic (CMR) classification, triggering Article 15 of the UK Cosmetics Regulation (UKCR).

• 2-ethylhexanoic acid and its salts: reprotoxic 1B, of which
  • 2-ethylhexanoic acid is already found in Annex II of the UK Cosmetics Regulation (entry 1024) and it is already banned from use in cosmetics;
  • 2-ethylhexanoic acid nickel salt is already found in Annex II of the UK Cosmetics Regulation (entry 1460) and it is already banned from use in cosmetics;
  • 2-ethylhexanoic acid zinc salt (INCI name zinc ethylhexanoate) does not have any entry in the UK Cosmetics Regulation and may therefore be used as a cosmetic ingredient. This ingredient is therefore expected to be banned for use in cosmetics and added to Annex II of the UK Cosmetics Regulation.
• Dimethyltolylamine, carcinogenic 1B – no Annex entry in UK Cosmetics Regulation. This ingredient is therefore expected to be banned for use in cosmetics and added to Annex II of the UK Cosmetics Regulation.

The application date of the harmonised classifications is 2 September 2025.