OPSS Publishes SI on CMR Substances and Kojic Acid

On 17 December 2024, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) published its Statutory Instrument ‘The Cosmetic Products (Restriction of Chemical Substances) (No. 2) Regulations 2024’.  This SI comes into force on 31 Janaury 2025; it adds 64 of substances with a mandatory classification as Carcinogen, Mutagen, Reprotoxic (CMR) substance under the GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation to Annex II of the UK Cosmetics Regulation (UKCR); and adds kojic acid to Annex III of the UKCR.  Please see below all details.

Annex II additions with INCI name

• Methylene di-t-butylcresol (CMR 1B) – Annex entry 1681
• Methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) – Annex entry 1691
• Benzophenone – Annex entry 1704
• Theophylline – Annex entry 1706
• Trimethylolpropane triacrylate – Annex entry 1712
• Margosa (azadirachta indica) extract (from the kernels of Azadirachta indica extracted with water and further processed with organic solvents) – Annex entry 1722
• Melamine – Annex entry 1730
• Dimethyltolylamine – Annex entry 1740

For Annex II entries from 1680 to 1730, the ‘placing on the market’ deadline is 20 April 2025; the ‘making available’ deadline (off shelf) is 20 October 2025.  For Annex II entries from 1731 to 1743, the ‘placing on the market’ deadline is 2 September 2025; the ‘making available’ deadline (off shelf) is 2 March 2026.

Annex III addition

• Kojic acid at 1% in face and hand products

The ‘placing on the market’ deadline is 20 June 2025; the ‘making available’ deadline (off shelf) is 1 November 2025.