Body & Beauty / Products / Cosmetic Ingredient Bans (US 11 vs EU 1,600+)

Cosmetic Ingredient Bans (US 11 vs EU 1,600+) — safety profile

Moderate risk

The US has banned or restricted 11 ingredients in cosmetics (as of MoCRA 2022).

What is this product?

The US has banned or restricted 11 ingredients in cosmetics (as of MoCRA 2022). The EU has banned or restricted 1,600+ ingredients under Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009. This 145:1 ratio reflects fundamentally different regulatory philosophies: US (prove harm before restriction) vs EU (precautionary principle — prove safety before market). MoCRA (Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act, 2022) was the first major US cosmetic safety update in 86 years.

What's in it

Click any compound name for its full safety profile, regulatory consensus, and exposure data.

Example Restricted

Example Restricted Eu

Who's most at risk

  • Children — Developing endocrine and neurological systems, higher exposure per body weight

Red flags — when to walk away

  • Product legal in US but banned/restricted in EU — International safety consensus may differ from US regulation.

Green flags — what to look for

  • Product meets both US AND EU safety standards — Compliant with strictest global standards.

Safer alternatives

  • EU-formulated personal care products — comply with 1,600+ restrictions
  • EWG Verified products — meet strictest EWG criteria
  • Brands voluntarily disclosing fragrance ingredients — Alternative

Frequently asked questions

Who should be careful with Cosmetic Ingredient Bans (US 11 vs EU 1,600+)?

Vulnerable populations identified for this product type: children.

Are there safer alternatives to Cosmetic Ingredient Bans (US 11 vs EU 1,600+)?

Yes — consider: EU-formulated personal care products; EWG Verified products; Brands voluntarily disclosing fragrance ingredients. See the Safer alternatives section above for details.

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Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific information. Why we built ALETHEIA →