A complete guide to the EU’s new retinol laws

Headlines about the retinol clampdown happening across the European Union (EU) have rocked the world of skin care, but what does it actually mean for beauty brands? 

On 4 April 2024, the EU Commission published an amendment to the EU Cosmetics Regulation to address the use of retinol – a derivative of vitamin A – in skin care products. 

Retinol is a commonly used ingredient in skin care products, much loved for its alleged wrinkle reducing and skin-plumping properties. 

Contrary to popular belief, the new law does not ban retinol in skin care but is instead clamping down on the percentage of the ingredient’s use.

The EU is limiting the maximum concentration of retinol used in facial skin care to 0.3% and 0.05% in body lotions in a bid to address consumers’ potential overexposure to vitamin A. 

It will be interesting to see how consumer perception plays out across the EU

Brands have been given three years to reformulate their existing products, suggesting regulators are not too concerned about the impact of using retinols. 

It is important to note that current retinol products are not, in themselves, harmful. 

However, from 1 November 2025, new retinol products that do not adhere to these restrictions cannot enter the EU market.

All remaining non-compliant retinol products will then be removed from shelves from 1 May 2027. 

Retinol skin care product labels in the EU will also now be required to say: ‘Contains vitamin A-related compounds, which contribute to your daily intake of vitamin A’. 

For consumers who truly need higher dosage products, prescription-strength vitamin A products will still be available through doctors and dermatologists.

Does this retinol restriction affect the UK market?

It is important to remember that the UK is no longer in the EU, so this so-called clampdown has no legal impact in the country. 

There has been some commentary on publications like