Adopted on 22 May 2019, the Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/831 amending Annexes II, III and V to Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 prohibited the use of formaldehyde in cosmetic products in EU market.

Nevertheless, several common preservatives, allowed as preservatives in cosmetic products under Annex V of (EC) No. 1223/2009 Cosmetic Regulation, release formaldehyde slowly and over time, called ‘free formaldehyde’.

These common preservatives include Diazolidinyl Urea, Imidazolidinyl Urea, DMDM Hydantoin, Bronopol, Polyoxymethylene Urea, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, etc.

All cosmetic products containing substances in this Annex and which release formaldehyde must be labelled with the warning ‘contains formaldehyde’ where the concentration of formaldehyde in the finished product exceeds 0.05%.

How is the test conducted?

The test is conducted by in-house method using HPLC-DAD.

How long will the test take?

It takes 7-10 working days for a regular service. 

How much sample should be submitted for the test?

Please submit a minimum of 20g or 20mL per product for one test.