Cosmetic Regulation Changes in 2026: UK & EU Guide

2026 brought some of the most significant cosmetic ingredient changes in years and, importantly, the UK and EU moved in different directions and on different timelines. If you sell cosmetics in either market, several substances are now banned or restricted, and some labels need updating. This guide gives you a plain English overview of what changed in 2026 and what you need to do about it.

This is a fast moving area and the details below are general information, not legal advice always check the current regulation text or ask a specialist for your specific products. For the underlying framework these changes amend, see our guide to cosmetic ingredient annexes.

What changed in 2026, in brief

Both the EU and the UK updated their cosmetic rules in January 2026, mainly to deal with substances newly classified as CMR carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction. When a substance gets a CMR classification under chemicals law, the cosmetic rules are updated to prohibit or tightly restrict it. The EU did this through a regulation known as Omnibus VIII, and Great Britain through a statutory instrument commonly referenced as SI 2026/23.

The headline is that a batch of ingredients is now banned or restricted in both markets, several labels need changing, and crucially the deadlines differ between the EU and the UK. A product that is compliant in one market on a given date may not be in the other, which makes 2026 a year where multi market brands have to track two separate calendars.

The EU changes: Omnibus VIII (Regulation 2026/78)

The EU's main 2026 change is Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/78, widely called Omnibus VIII, adopted in January 2026 and applying from 1 May 2026. It amends several annexes of the EU Cosmetics Regulation to prohibit or restrict substances newly classified as CMR, adding roughly fifteen-plus substances to the banned list and tightening conditions on others.

What makes Omnibus VIII unusual is that it gives no sell-through period: unlike many cosmetic amendments that let existing stock clear over a year or more, from 1 May 2026 non-compliant products may not be on the EU market at all, whether newly placed or already on shelves. We cover this in detail in our EU Omnibus VIII guide.

The UK changes: SI 2026/23

Great Britain made its own changes through The Cosmetic Products (Restriction of Chemical Substances) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/23), adopted in January 2026. It bans the UV filter 4-MBC (Enzacamene), prohibits a set of newly classified CMR substances (including TPO, used in gel nail products), restricts hexyl salicylate, and lowers the labelling threshold for formaldehyde-releasing preservatives.

Unlike the EU's no-transition approach, the UK set phased deadlines generally a placing-on-market cut-off in mid-2026 and a longer sell through into early 2027. The exact dates depend on the substance, and we set them all out in our UK 2026 changes guide. Northern Ireland follows the EU rules under the Windsor Framework, not the GB ones.

Why the UK and EU now diverge

Before Brexit there was one rulebook. Now Great Britain and the EU run their own scientific reviews and issue their own legislation, so although they often reach similar conclusions, they do so on different timelines and with different details. In 2026 this is very visible: the same CMR concern produced an EU regulation applying from 1 May with no transition, and a UK instrument with staggered dates running into 2027.

For a brand selling in both markets, this divergence is the central practical challenge. You cannot assume EU compliance equals UK compliance, or vice versa. Each market's annexes, deadlines and labelling have to be checked separately a job that falls to your Responsible Person for each market.

Ingredients to check in your formulas

While the full lists are long and technical, some changes are worth flagging because they touch common products. TPO, a photoinitiator used in UV cured gel nail products, is now banned in both markets (on different dates). 4-MBC, a UV filter, is banned in Great Britain. Silver is now controlled by particle size, and hexyl salicylate, a fragrance ingredient, is newly restricted. Various other industrial and intermediate substances were added to the banned lists.

If your products include gel nails, sun care, or fragrance, these are priority areas to review. The safe approach is to map every ingredient in every product against the updated annexes for each market you sell in the same check your safety assessor performs for your CPSR.

Labelling changes to make

Some 2026 changes are about labels, not just formulas. In Great Britain, the threshold that triggers the mandatory “releases formaldehyde” warning was lowered, so some products that previously did not need that warning now do. Separately, the EU's expanded fragrance-allergen labelling continues to roll out, meaning more named allergens on ingredient lists see our allergen labelling guide.

Label changes take time to implement artwork, printing, stock so they are worth planning early against the relevant deadlines. A correct formula with an out-of-date label is still non-compliant, so labelling has to keep pace with the ingredient rules.

How these changes ripple through your dossier

It is easy to think of an ingredient ban as a simple swap, but each reformulation ripples through your whole compliance file. Changing a substance alters the product's composition, which means the safety assessment behind your CPSR has to be revisited, the Product Information File updated, the ingredient list on the label corrected, and the product's notification refreshed. A product that is reformulated but still documented under its old recipe is, in effect, undocumented for what is actually on sale.

The labelling knock-ons are easy to underestimate too. A new ingredient can change the descending-order ingredient list, add or remove a named allergen, or trigger a different warning. Where a substance moves from allowed to restricted, you may need to adjust its level and add mandatory wording. None of this is difficult in isolation, but it adds up, and it has to be done before the reformulated product goes on sale, not after.

This is exactly the ongoing work a Responsible Person exists to manage. Keeping the dossier in step with the product, across two diverging markets, is a continuous task in 2026 rather than a one-off project and it is far cheaper to do proactively than to scramble through after an enforcement query or a marketplace challenge.

What you should do now

• Audit your formulas against the updated EU and UK annexes.

• Prioritise gel nails, sun care and fragrance products.

• Track the separate EU and UK deadlines for each affected product.

• Update labels (formaldehyde warning, allergens) where needed.

• Revise your CPSR, PIF and notifications after any reformulation.

• Confirm your Responsible Person is monitoring ongoing changes.

Frequently asked questions

What are the main cosmetic regulation changes in 2026?

The EU's Omnibus VIII (Regulation 2026/78) and Great Britain's SI 2026/23, both adopted in January 2026, mainly ban or restrict newly classified CMR substances and change some labelling on different timelines in each market.

Do the EU and UK changes have the same deadlines?

No. The EU's Omnibus VIII applies from 1 May 2026 with no sell through period, while the UK's SI 2026/23 uses phased deadlines in mid 2026 with sell-through into early 2027. Multi-market brands must track both.

Which products are most affected?

Gel nail products (TPO), sun care (the 4-MBC ban in GB), and fragrance (hexyl salicylate restriction, expanded allergen labelling) are priority areas, along with various industrial substances added to the banned lists.

Does Northern Ireland follow the UK or EU changes?

Northern Ireland follows the EU rules under the Windsor Framework, so the EU changes apply there rather than the Great Britain ones.

What should I do about the 2026 changes?

Audit your formulas and labels against the updated EU and UK annexes, track the separate deadlines, update labelling where needed, and revise your CPSR, PIF and notifications after any reformulation.

References: Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/78 (Omnibus VIII); The Cosmetic Products (Restriction of Chemical Substances) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/23, legislation.gov.uk); Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (EUR-Lex); OPSS guidance. General information only, not legal advice; verify current requirements for your products.