HEMA (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)
Official label name (INCI name, EU glossary of cosmetic ingredient names), No 11716
- Allowed with restrictions (Annex III)
HEMA (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate): Allowed with restrictions (Annex III, entry 313), under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.
In plain words
What it is used for
Functions declared by manufacturers:
Nail sculpting.
What the rules say
Allowed, with restrictions: Annex III sets the product types allowed and a warning to be printed on the packaging. Ingredient lists do not give quantities, so the concentration cannot be checked on the label; the warning can.
The text of the annexes
Allowed with restrictions
- Entry
- Annex III, No 313
- Substance
- 2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate
- Glossary names
- HEMA
- CAS
- 868-77-9
- EC
- 212-782-2
- Product type
- Nail products
- Other conditions
- Professional use only
- Warnings
- For professional use only. Can cause an allergic reaction.
Dates in the act (3)
- Entry into force on 3 December 2020
- Placing on the market from 3 June 2021
From 3 June 2021 products containing that substance and not complying with those conditions shall not be placed on the Union market
- Making available from 3 September 2021
From 3 September 2021 products containing that substance and not complying with those conditions shall not be made available on the Union market
Excerpts from the English text published in the Official Journal. A date may concern only some substances of the act: the excerpt says so.
Identity
- CosIng identifier
- 56349
- CAS (according to CosIng)
- 868-77-9
- EC (according to CosIng)
- 212-782-2
- Declared functions
- Nail sculpting
- Wikidata
- Q424799
- PubChem
- 13360
- ECHA InfoCard
- 100.011.621
- InChIKey
- WOBHKFSMXKNTIM-UHFFFAOYSA-N
EU product alerts (Safety Gate)
8 alerts on cosmetic products cite this name in their hazard description. An alert targets a specific product, not the ingredient itself; each alert states the reason (prohibited substance, limit exceeded, missing labelling, and so on).
- 9 January 2026: Gel nail polish, CR CAIRUO, Czechia (“Serious risk”) alert
- 12 December 2025: Nail gel, NailsUp, Germany (“Serious risk”) alert
- 12 December 2025: Nail gel, NailsUp, Germany (“Serious risk”) alert
- 12 December 2025: Nail gel, NailsUp, Germany (“Serious risk”) alert
- 7 November 2025: Nail polish, NailsUp, Germany (“Serious risk”) alert
- 8 August 2025: Nail varnish, XEIJAYI, France (“Serious risk”) alert
- 31 January 2025: Nail polish, SLIÀN, Austria (“Serious risk”) alert
- 6 September 2024: Nail polish set, WAYI, France (“Serious risk”) alert
Elsewhere in the world
Information on other jurisdictions. What is covered, and what is not yet.
United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- Allowed with restrictions (Annex III)
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.
Glossary: Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175. Page updated on 21 October 2026.