8 of FDA's 11 named entries have a counterpart in the EU's Annex II, and only 12 of Annex II's 1,736 entries match one, 0.7%. FDA says that is not the whole picture; here is what it does say.
SlipperSkin finding
Read on 23 October 2026, 8 of FDA's 11 named entries have a counterpart in EU Annex II, which lists 1,736 prohibited entries: 12 of them match an FDA entry and 1,724 are not named on FDA's page.
Different lists, so different numbers:
Eleven entries on FDA’s page: bithionol, chlorofluorocarbon propellants, chloroform, halogenated salicylanilides, hexachlorophene, mercury compounds, methylene chloride, prohibited cattle materials, sunscreens in cosmetics, vinyl chloride and zirconium-containing complexes. 8 of them have a counterpart in EU Annex II; the other 3 do not: chlorofluorocarbon propellants, prohibited cattle materials, sunscreens in cosmetics. Two of those are not substance bans at all (a propellant rule and a sunscreen labelling rule), and the cattle entry concerns animal-derived material. The counterpart is the same substance, not always the same rule: FDA limits mercury compounds to eye-area products at 65 parts per million and allows hexachlorophene only under conditions, while the EU lists hexachlorophene in Annex II as prohibited, and mercury and its compounds too, except the special cases its entry points to in Annex V. FDA's vinyl chloride and zirconium entries concern aerosol products.
| FDA entry | What FDA's page says | 21 CFR | EU Annex II |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bithionol | prohibited | 700.11 | 352 |
| Chlorofluorocarbon propellants | prohibited in aerosols | 700.23 | none |
| Chloroform | prohibited, with an exception | 700.18 | 366 |
| Halogenated salicylanilides | prohibited | 700.15 | 348, 349, 350, 351, 373 |
| Hexachlorophene | restricted | 250.250 | 371 |
| Mercury compounds | restricted | 700.13 | 221 |
| Methylene chloride | named as harmful | 700.19 | 1389 |
| Prohibited cattle materials | prohibited (BSE) | 700.27 | none |
| Sunscreens in cosmetics | a labelling rule | 700.35 | none |
| Vinyl chloride | prohibited in aerosols | 700.14 | 334 |
| Zirconium-containing complexes | prohibited in aerosols | 700.16 | 391 |
Going the other way, only 12 of Annex II's 1,736 entries match something FDA's page names, 0.7%, and 1,724 are not named there. The grid draws every Annex II entry in reference order; the filled squares are the 12. Nothing here says the other entries are harmless or that FDA permits them.
Not by FDA's own account. Its page says it is against the law for a cosmetic to contain any ingredient that makes the product harmful when used as directed or in the customary way, whether or not a regulation specifically prohibits or restricts that ingredient. It also has separate sections on colour additives, which are approved, and on drug ingredients. So the 1,724 unnamed entries are not on FDA's ingredient page; that is a fact about the page, not a ruling on each substance. See each ingredient's file for the lists it sits on: chloroform (PubChem), mercury (PubChem), formaldehyde and hydroquinone are good places to start, or search all of Annex II.
1. Ask which list: Annex II has 1,736 entries, FDA's
page 11, California's 2025 and 2027 lists 43.
2. A group entry ("and its salts") covers more
chemicals than it counts as entries.
3. "Not named by FDA" is not "legal": FDA says any
harmful ingredient is unlawful, named or not.
4. A counterpart is not the same rule: aerosol-only
or restricted in the US can be banned in the EU.
5. Look the ingredient up, then read its entry.On 23 October 2026 we read FDA's prohibited and restricted ingredients page in Chrome and exported the EU Cosmetics Regulation's Annex II (consolidated 1 May 2026, 1,736 entries after the 25 marked "Moved or deleted") row by row from EUR-Lex. For each FDA entry that names a substance we searched Annex II by CAS number and by name; entries with no match, and the two that are not substance bans, are shown as having none. The CFR sections cited on FDA's page were checked against the eCFR. We counted entries, not chemicals: group entries cover more compounds than they count. We have not assessed any substance's safety, and nothing here is legal advice.
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The EU's Annex II lists 1,736 prohibited entries (consolidated 1 May 2026); FDA's prohibited and restricted ingredients page names 11 entries and says cosmetic ingredients other than colour additives need no FDA approval before sale. The units differ: some Annex II entries are groups.
8 of FDA's 11 entries have an Annex II counterpart (bithionol, chloroform, hexachlorophene, mercury, methylene chloride, vinyl chloride, the salicylanilides and zirconium compounds), though the rules differ: FDA limits mercury compounds and hexachlorophene where the EU prohibits them.
Not necessarily. FDA's page says it is against the law for a cosmetic to contain any ingredient that makes the product harmful when used as directed, whether or not a regulation names that ingredient. Colour additives and drug ingredients are covered in separate sections.
12 of 1,736, 0.7%, by our match on CAS number and name, read 23 October 2026. The other 1,724 are not named on FDA's page.
We indexed Annex II of the EU Cosmetics Regulation, consolidated 1 May 2026, with a filter by name or CAS number and a CSV download, at slipperskin.com/eu-banned-cosmetic-ingredients.
The EU's ban list is long and FDA's named list is short, and the two overlap on 12 substances. That is a fact about two documents, not a verdict on any ingredient. Look an ingredient up on the lists that matter to you, read what each says and when, and treat a score or a viral number as a pointer, not a ruling. If FDA, the EU or anyone else spots something here that is out of date, tell us through the contact page and we will correct it with the date.