Is coumarin banned or restricted in cosmetics?
Neither banned nor capped, but labelled: the EU requires coumarin to be named in the ingredient list when its concentration exceeds 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products (Annex III, entry 77). California, the EU and FDA's named list, read 23 October 2026, with EWG Skin Deep's score.
SlipperSkin finding
Read on 23 October 2026, coumarin is neither banned nor capped in the EU but named for labelling (Annex III); EWG Skin Deep scores it 4 out of 10.
Is coumarin banned in cosmetics?
Neither banned nor capped, but labelled: the EU requires coumarin to be named in the ingredient list when its concentration exceeds 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products (Annex III, entry 77). California does not list it. FDA's named list does not include it. EWG Skin Deep scores it 4 out of 10 (data: limited).
What does the EU require for coumarin?
The EU neither bans nor caps coumarin; Annex III requires it to be named in the ingredient list above the thresholds printed below, as consolidated on 1 May 2026.
| Where | Annex | Cap, threshold and product type | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annex III, entry 77 as printed: 2H-1-Benzopyran-2-one | Restricted substances | labelling thresholds, not a cap all products | The presence of the substance must be indicated in the list of ingredients referred to in Article 19(1)(g) when its concentration exceeds: - 0.001 % in leave-on products - 0.01 % in rinse-off products |
Is coumarin on California's banned list?
No. It is on neither list (a), in force since 1 January 2025, nor list (b), in force from 1 January 2027, of California's Health and Safety Code section 108980.
What does EWG Skin Deep say about coumarin?
EWG’s page gives coumarin a hazard score of 4 out of 10 with limited data. Its concerns line reads, in part: . The use-restrictions concern is none listed. The score is a hazard score on EWG's own scale; it is not a regulatory status.
Where is this read from?
- EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009, consolidated 1 May 2026 (EUR-Lex)
- California Health and Safety Code section 108980
- FDA: prohibited and restricted ingredients in cosmetics
- EWG Skin Deep: Coumarin
- PubChem: compound 323 (CAS 91-64-5)
More ingredient files: Geraniol · Eugenol · Benzyl salicylate · all 66 ingredient files
Method: California's section 108980 and the EU's annexes were read in Chrome on 23 October 2026; EU lookups are by CAS number (91-64-5) across Annexes II, III, V and VI; EWG's page was kept only if its name matched exactly; the PubChem link is the compound the CAS number resolves to. Statutes change and EWG revises pages, nothing here is a safety verdict, and an ingredient that is not on a list is not endorsed.