IngredientsEuropean Union
Retinyl palmitate in EU cosmetics: status and maximum concentration
INCI RETINYL PALMITATE · CAS 79-81-2
EU status: Restrictedcapped, vitamin A warning
Data from Certo’s regulatory database as of
Some rows corrected against the legal texts on
The short answer
Retinyl palmitate is restricted in cosmetic products sold in the European Union (capped, vitamin A warning). The binding limits are set in Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annex III, entry 376. Products placed on the market since 1 November 2025 must comply with them; from 1 May 2027, products that do not comply may no longer be made available.
EU legal requirements
| Product type or use | Limit | Conditions and label wording | Applies from |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU Cosmetics Regulation, Annex III 376 — Retinol, retinyl acetate and retinyl palmitate count together. Legal text | |||
| Body lotion | ≤ 0.05 % as retinol equivalent, for retinyl palmitate, retinol and retinyl acetate combined | About 0.09 % of retinyl palmitate on its own (1 % retinol equivalent ≈ 1.83 % retinyl palmitate, by molar mass). | 1 November 2025 (placing on the market); 1 May 2027 (making available, including existing stock) |
| Other leave-on and rinse-off products | ≤ 0.3 % as retinol equivalent, for retinyl palmitate, retinol and retinyl acetate combined | About 0.55 % of retinyl palmitate on its own (1 % retinol equivalent ≈ 1.83 % retinyl palmitate, by molar mass). | 1 November 2025 (placing on the market); 1 May 2027 (making available, including existing stock) |
| Every product type | — | The label must state ‘Contains Vitamin A. Consider your daily intake before use’. | 1 November 2025 (placing on the market); 1 May 2027 (making available, including existing stock) |
What the texts say
Reference number: 376 Chemical name/INN: (2E,4E,6E,8E)-3,7-dimethyl-9-(2,6,6-trimethylcyclohexen-1-yl)nona-2,4,6,8-tetraen-1-ol (45) Name of Common Ingredients Glossary: Retinol CAS number: 11103-57-4/ 68-26-8 EC number: 234-328-2/ 200-683-7 Product type, body parts: (a) Body lotion (b) other leave-on and rinse-off products Maximum concentration in ready for use preparation: (a) 0,05 % Retinol Equivalent (RE) (b) 0,3 % RE Wording of conditions of use and warnings: For any cosmetic product containing Retinol, Retinyl Acetate or Retinyl Palmitate the following, labelling is obligatory: ‘Contains Vitamin A. Consider your daily intake before use’. Chemical name/INN: [(2E,4E,6E,8E)-3,7-dimethyl-9-(2,6,6-trimethylcyclohexen-1-yl)nona-2,4,6,8-tetraenyl] acetate (45) Name of Common Ingredients Glossary: Retinyl Acetate CAS number: 127-47-9 EC number: 204-844-2 Chemical name/INN: [(2E,4E,6E,8E)-3,7-dimethyl-9-(2,6,6-trimethylcyclohexen-1-yl)nona-2,4,6,8-tetraenyl] hexadecanoate (45) Name of Common Ingredients Glossary: Retinyl Palmitate CAS number: 79-81-2 EC number: 201-228-5
Sources
This page is general regulatory information, not legal advice. Rely on the legal texts linked above and on your own regulatory experts before making a compliance decision.