ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE (2-ethylhexyl 4-methoxycinnamate)
Official label name (INCIInternational name of cosmetic ingredients: the one printed on the pack. name, EU glossary of cosmetic ingredient names), No 10222
- UV filter allowed under conditions (Annex VI)
ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE (2-ethylhexyl 4-methoxycinnamate): UV filter allowed under conditions, maximum 10% in the ready-for-use preparation (Annex VI, entry 12), under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Annexes of the Regulation consulted on 23 October 2026.
Who it concerns
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
No classification harmonised by the European Union covers reproduction, the unborn child or breastfeeding for this substance. This does not mean it has been judged to have no effect during pregnancy.
Babies and children
The Cosmetics Regulation sets no age-related condition for this ingredient.
Skin, eyes and allergies
No harmonised classification for sensitisation, irritation or eye damage, and no obligation to label it as an allergen.
Environment
No harmonised classification as hazardous to the aquatic environment, and it is not on ECHAEuropean Chemicals Agency.'s Candidate List as an endocrine disruptor for the environment.
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:
Light stabilizer.
UV absorber: protects the cosmetic product from the effects of UV light.
UV filter: filters certain UV rays in order to protect the skin or the hair from harmful effects of these rays.
Functions declared in the CosIngThe European Commission's database of cosmetic ingredients. inventory. CosIng, inventory of cosmetic ingredients (INCI names, CAS, EC, functions), retrieved 21 October 2026.
Definitions of functions (decision repealed on 8 May 2020, cited for information). Decision 2006/257/EC, inventory of cosmetic ingredients (definitions of functions), retrieved 22 October 2026.
What the rules say
An ingredient can be used as a UV filter only if it appears on the list of Annex VI. ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE is on it with a maximum concentration.
CosIng, Annex VI of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (allowed UV filters), retrieved 23 October 2026, source updated 13 October 2026.
Origin and odour
Present in 1.8% of recorded cosmetics (364 out of 19 764), mainly: lip products, eaux de toilette, sunscreen.
Open Beauty Facts, export of cosmetic products, retrieved 23 October 2026.
Data “Open Beauty Facts and its contributors”, licensed under ODbL 1.0 (opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/1-0); derived table distributed under the same licence.
The text of the annexes
UV filter allowed under conditions
- Maximum concentration
- 10%
- Entry
- Annex VI, No 12
- Substance
- 2-Ethylhexyl 4-methoxycinnamate / Octinoxate
- Glossary names
- ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE
- CAS
- 5466-77-3
- EC
- 226-775-7
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annex VI, entry 12. CosIng, Annex VI of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (allowed UV filters), retrieved 23 October 2026, source updated 13 October 2026.
Entry from Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, adopted on 30 November 2009.
SCCSEU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety: it assesses cosmetic ingredients. opinions cited: Evaluation of Potentially Estrogenic Effects of UV-filters.
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 VI, entry 12: introduced or replaced by Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009
Annex VI, entry 12: applies from this date
Identity
- CosIng identifier
- 33886
- CAS (according to CosIng)
- 5466-77-3, 83834-59-7
- EC (according to CosIng)
- 226-775-7, 629-661-9
- Declared functions
- Light stabilizer, UV absorber, UV filter
- Wikidata
- Q60311884
- ECHA InfoCard
- 100.024.341
CosIng cites 2 CAS numbers for this name: it covers several substances.
CosIng inventory. CosIng, inventory of cosmetic ingredients (INCI names, CAS, EC, functions), retrieved 21 October 2026.
Wikidata, items with a CosIng identifier (P3073), retrieved 22 October 2026.
Wikidata, PubChem and ECHA links are published only when verified: same CosIng identifier, a single item, matching CAS number.
EU product alerts (Safety Gate)
2 alerts on cosmetic products cite this name in their hazard description. An alert targets a specific product, not the ingredient itself. Under each alert, its reason (prohibited substance, limit exceeded, missing labelling, and so on), as published.
- 17 April 2026: Skin cream, Glow & Lovely, United Kingdom in respect of Northern Ireland (“Serious risk”) alert
According to the list of ingredients, the product has an excessive concentration of ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben and isopropylparaben. Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate could be an endocrine disruptor and… - 26 September 2025: Sunscreen, ParaSol, Ireland (“Serious risk”) alert
The product has an excessive concentration of the UV filters, Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate and Padimate-O (measured values: 12.8 % and 11.4 %, respectively). Moreover, the product includes inappropriate claims, such as "one application per day" and the…
Safety Gate, EU rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products: cosmetic alerts from the weekly reports, retrieved 23 October 2026.
Source: European Commission, Safety GateEU rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products. weekly reports (CC0).
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 | UV filter allowed under conditions | 10% |
| United Kingdom | UV filter allowed under conditions | 10% |
| Switzerland | EU Regulation applies | 10% |
| United States (federal) | No federal rule recorded | not cited |
| Canada | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| Japan | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| South Korea | Restricted differs from the EU | 7.5% |
| China | Not on the prohibited lists recorded (lists of allowed substances are not recorded) | not cited |
| Australia | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| ASEAN | Allowed UV filter | 10% |
| Brazil | Allowed under conditions | 10% |
United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- UV filter allowed under conditions (Annex VI)
Same entries as in the European Union. Their maximum concentrations are compared in the “Comparison between countries” table; other conditions (product types, warnings) may differ.
Annexes II to VI in force. United Kingdom, Annexes II to VI of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 as retained and amended, retrieved 21 October 2026.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Northern Ireland applies EU law.
Switzerland
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 applies in Switzerland (Article 54 of the Ordinance on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles).
Switzerland, FDHA Ordinance on Cosmetic Products (OCos, SR 817.023.31), consolidated version, retrieved 22 October 2026.
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.
United States, 21 CFR part 700 and section 250.250 (FDA rules on cosmetic ingredients), eCFR, retrieved 21 October 2026.
The eCFR is not an official legal edition of the Code of Federal Regulations.
South Korea
- Restricted: 에칠헥실메톡시신나메이트 (ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE)
별표 2, 자외선 차단성분 (UV filters), entry 20, page 16. Limit: 7.5%.
South Korea, MFDS Regulation on Safety Standards for Cosmetics, Notification 2026-19, retrieved 22 October 2026.
Source: 식품의약품안전처 (MFDS), 화장품 안전기준 등에 관한 규정, via law.go.kr; table formatted by the publisher of this site.
ASEAN (South-East Asia)
- Allowed UV filter: Octyl methoxycinnamate
Annex VII (allowed UV filters), entry 12, page 284. Limit: 10%.
ASEAN Cosmetic Directive, Annexes II, III, IV, VI and VII (version 2026-1 of 22 June 2026, Annex VII 2025-2), retrieved 24 October 2026.
Source: ASEAN Cosmetic Documents, Annexes of the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive, as published by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA, Singapore); table extracted and formatted by the publisher of this site, with no endorsement by HSA or ASEAN.
Brazil
- Allowed under conditions: 4 – Metoxicinamato de 2 – etilhexila ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE (ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE)
RDC 600/2022, Anexo (allowed UV filters), entry 11, page 2. Limit: 10%.
Brazil, ANVISA resolutions RDC 529/2021, 528/2021, 600/2022 and 628/2022, retrieved 22 October 2026.
Source: ANVISA. Text of the adopted draft resolutions, as the Official Journal could not be accessed; the 2021 lists of prohibited substances and preservatives were compared with the copy of the published text distributed by the State of Paraná, the 2022 lists of UV filters and colorants were not.
Recorded cosmetics that contain it
364 recorded products list it, according to Open Beauty Facts contributors. Records are dated: the formula may have changed. See the list (in French).
Open Beauty Facts, export of cosmetic products, retrieved 23 October 2026.
Data “Open Beauty Facts and its contributors”, licensed under ODbL 1.0 (opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/1-0); derived table distributed under the same licence.
Glossary: Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175. Page updated on 23 October 2026.