Cosmetics Regulation Compliance Check (Hexyl Salicylate & CMR Substances)

Why this matters

From 15 August 2026, an amendment to the UK Cosmetics Regulation (SI 2026/109) added Hexyl Salicylate as a restricted substance under Annex III of the Regulation, alongside bringing forward prohibitions on a group of CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic) substances used in some cosmetic products. Products already legally placed on the Great Britain market before 15 August 2026 can continue to be supplied during a transitional period, and professionals such as salons can continue using stock they already hold — including products containing TPO (triphenyl phosphite oxide), found in some nail and gel treatments — but businesses cannot purchase further non-compliant stock after that date, and existing qualifying stock can only be sold until 14 February 2027.

A second, larger deadline follows on 23 March 2027, when cosmetic products containing any of 13 named CMR substances can no longer be placed on the UK market at all, with products already on the market before that date allowed to be sold through until 22 September 2027. This affects the full cosmetics supply chain — manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers, and salons or beauty businesses using professional products on clients — and non-compliance risks products being treated as unsafe to place on the market, with enforcement by local Trading Standards under the Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations. With three separate transitional deadlines running from August 2026 through to September 2027, businesses should audit ingredient lists and supplier compliance now rather than waiting for stock to become unsellable.

What you'll need

• Whether your business manufactures, imports, distributes, retails or professionally uses cosmetic products in Great Britain
• Whether your product range includes Hexyl Salicylate, or products such as gel/nail treatments containing TPO
• Your current process for reviewing ingredient lists and supplier safety data sheets
• Whether your stock was purchased before or after 15 August 2026

What you'll get

A personalised compliance report covering: a score out of 100, an executive summary, a list of findings ranked by severity, and a prioritised action plan with timeframes.