AppliesFully applicable

Alpha-arbutin, arbutin, kojic acid, genistein and daidzein limits

Popular brightening actives and soy isoflavones now have maximum concentrations; non-compliant products have been off EU shelves since 1 November 2025.

What changes

Alpha-arbutin is limited to 2% in face creams and 0.5% in body lotions, and arbutin to 7% in face creams; in both cases hydroquinone must stay at unavoidable trace levels. Kojic acid is limited to 1% in face and hand products. The soy isoflavones genistein and daidzein are capped at 0.007% and 0.02%. Brightening serums or spot treatments with higher levels, or alpha-arbutin in other product types, are no longer compliant.

Key dates

Published4 April 2024
Entry into force24 April 2024
Cannot be placed on the market from1 February 2025
Cannot be made available (sold) from1 November 2025

Verified against the Official Journal (OJ L, 2024/996, 4.4.2024). Dates are the days from which the bans apply, as written in the act: no placing on the market of non-compliant products from 1 February 2025, no making available from 1 November 2025. Fully applicable.

Affected ingredients

Products in our database containing these ingredients

63 products in INCIMondo contain at least one of these ingredients.

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Topics

This is a consumer-oriented summary, not legal advice. Only the text published in the Official Journal of the EU is legally binding.

All regulation changes