BASIC GREEN 4
Official label name (INCIInternational name of cosmetic ingredients: the one printed on the pack. name, EU glossary of cosmetic ingredient names), No 3084
- Prohibited in cosmetics (Annex II)
BASIC GREEN 4: Prohibited in cosmetics (Annex II, entry 1188), under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Good to know: classified toxic for reproduction (category 2); hazardous to the aquatic environment. Annexes of the Regulation consulted on 21 October 2026.
Who it concerns
This ingredient is prohibited in cosmetics in the European Union: what follows describes its hazards, not a permitted use.
What official classifications and rules say for each group. A classification describes the hazard of the pure substance, not the risk of a product that contains it, which depends on the dose and the exposure.
Prohibition or serious classificationThe text prohibits the substance for this use, or ranks it among the most serious hazards (known or presumed carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic, identified endocrine disruptor).Worth watchingThe text sets a condition or flags a hazard worth knowing: allergen, suspected effect, condition for children, hazard to the aquatic environment.For informationOfficial information with no condition on a finished product: warning to read, irritation of the pure substance.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Worth watchingThe text sets a condition or flags a hazard worth knowing: allergen, suspected effect, condition for children, hazard to the aquatic environment.
Worth watchingThe text sets a condition or flags a hazard worth knowing: allergen, suspected effect, condition for children, hazard to the aquatic environment. Classified under the CLPEU regulation that classifies chemicals by their hazards (EC No 1272/2008). Regulation: reproductive toxicity, category 2 (Repr. 2), a hazard to the unborn child.
For a question about your own situation, ask your doctor, midwife or pharmacist.
Babies and children
The Cosmetics Regulation sets no age-related condition for this ingredient.
Skin, eyes and allergies
For informationOfficial information with no condition on a finished product: warning to read, irritation of the pure substance.
For informationOfficial information with no condition on a finished product: warning to read, irritation of the pure substance. Classified under the CLP Regulation: serious eye damage, category 1 (Eye Dam. 1).
Environment
Worth watchingThe text sets a condition or flags a hazard worth knowing: allergen, suspected effect, condition for children, hazard to the aquatic environment.
Worth watchingThe text sets a condition or flags a hazard worth knowing: allergen, suspected effect, condition for children, hazard to the aquatic environment. Classified under the CLP Regulation: hazardous to the aquatic environment, short term, category 1 (Aquatic Acute 1); hazardous to the aquatic environment, long term, category 1 (Aquatic Chronic 1).
Read on the label
The Cosmetics Regulation requires no warning to be printed for this ingredient.
In plain words
What it is used for
Functions declared by manufacturers:
Hair dyeing: colours hair.
What the rules say
It is prohibited to use it in a cosmetic product sold in the European Union, whatever the dose. If it appears on the ingredient list of a recent product, this needs checking: the record may be old or wrong, or the product intended for another market.
Hazard and risk
The CLP Regulation classifies this substance as toxic for reproduction, category 2 (suspected effect, without enough evidence for a higher category).
This classification describes what the substance can cause (a hazard), not what happens when using a product (a risk): the risk depends on the dose, the form and the route of exposure (skin, inhalation, ingestion).
Already prohibited in cosmetics (Annex II).
The text of the annexes
Prohibited in cosmetics
CosIng links the name BASIC GREEN 4 to this Annex II entry.
- Entry
- Annex II, No 1188
- Substance
- Malachite green hydrochloride [1]; Malachite green oxalate [2]
- CAS
- 569-64-2 [1] / 18015-76-4 [2]
- EC
- 209-322-8 [1] / 241-922-5 [2]
What has changed, and what will change
Dates of the texts that cover this ingredient. A text date may cover several substances: the details of each entry are below.
Annex II, entry 1188: introduced or replaced by Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009
Annex II, entry 1188: applies from this date
CLP classification “Repr. 2” applicable at the latest from this date (Regulation (EU) 2018/669)
Identity
- CosIng identifier
- 54817
- CAS (according to CosIng)
- 569-64-2
- EC (according to CosIng)
- 209-322-8
- Declared functions
- Hair dyeing
Classified hazard (CLP Regulation)
The harmonised classification is the one set by the European Union for the whole Union. H codes refer to the hazard statements of Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008.
malachite green hydrochloride; [1] malachite green oxalate [2]
Reproductive toxicity, category 2 (Repr. 2)
- Hazard classes
- Reproductive toxicity, category 2 (Repr. 2)
Acute toxicity, category 4 (Acute Tox. 4)
Serious eye damage, category 1 (Eye Dam. 1)
Hazardous to the aquatic environment, short term, category 1 (Aquatic Acute 1)
Hazardous to the aquatic environment, long term, category 1 (Aquatic Chronic 1) - Hazard statements
- H361d *** H302 H318 H400 H410
Elsewhere in the world
Information on other jurisdictions, with no effect on sale in France. What is covered, and what is not yet.
Comparison between countries
Most restrictive status in each country, and the maximum concentration cited. The details and the source of each rule follow.
| Country | Rule | Maximum concentration cited |
|---|---|---|
| European Union | Prohibited in cosmetics | not cited |
| United Kingdom | Prohibited in cosmetics | not cited |
| Switzerland | EU Regulation applies | not cited |
| United States (federal) | No federal rule recorded | not cited |
| Japan | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| South Korea | Prohibited | not cited |
| China | Prohibited | not cited |
| Australia | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| Brazil | Prohibited | not cited |
United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- Prohibited in cosmetics (Annex II)
Same entries as in the European Union. Conditions (concentrations, warnings) may differ: they are not compared here.
Switzerland
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 applies in Switzerland (Article 54 of the Ordinance on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles).
United States, federal rules
None of the integrated sections of the federal code (21 CFR 700.11 to 700.27 and 250.250) targets this name. The FDA does not publish a list of allowed ingredients.
South Korea
- Prohibited: 말라카이트그린 및 그 염류 (BASIC GREEN 4)
별표 1 (prohibited substances), entry 233, page 12.
Conditions, source text, in Korean
화학물질명: 말라카이트그린 클로라이드 (CAS No. 569-64-2)
China
- Prohibited: 孔雀石绿的盐酸盐和草酸盐 (Malachite green hydrochloride （CAS No. 569-64-2）,Malachite green oxalate （CAS No. 18015-76-4）)
表1 化妆品禁用原料目录 (prohibited substances, 2021年第74号), entry 880, page 附件2 (.doc) table row 880 ; TID reprint p.34.
Brazil
- Prohibited: Cloridrato de verde de malaquita [1] Oxalato de verde de malaquita [2]
RDC 529/2021, Anexo (prohibited substances), entry 1188, page 40.
Conditions, source text, in Portuguese
N° UE: 1188
Glossary: Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175. Page updated on 21 October 2026.