NERAL
See the summary at the top of this page. CosIng, Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (restricted substances), Consulted on 23 October 2026.
Listed in the CosIngThe European Commission's database of cosmetic ingredients. inventory; not yet in the European glossary of common ingredient names. Listing does not constitute an authorisation for use.
CosIng, inventory of cosmetic ingredients (INCI names, CAS, EC, functions), retrieved 21 October 2026.
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175, glossary of common ingredient names, retrieved 21 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 no EU act identifies it 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:
The functions and their explanations appear in the summary.
Functions declared in the CosIng inventory. CosIng, inventory of cosmetic ingredients (INCI names, CAS, EC, functions), retrieved 21 October 2026.
CosIng, list of cosmetic functions, retrieved 30 October 2026; source text read on 30 October 2026.
What the rules say
Allowed, with restrictions: Annex III sets a maximum concentration and the product types allowed. Ingredient lists do not give quantities, so the concentration cannot be checked on the label.
CosIng, Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (restricted substances), retrieved 23 October 2026, source updated 13 October 2026.
See the summary at the top of this page.
What we know about this ingredient
Molecule occurring naturally in plants or organisms; the cosmetic ingredient may be extracted from them, produced by fermentation or synthesised: the label does not say which.
Basis: one CosIng CAS and natural occurrence recorded in Wikidata (LOTUS database).
Wikidata: names of substances in six languages and taxa in which they occur (largely from the LOTUS database), retrieved 23 October 2026.
Natural occurrence recorded in Wikidata (LOTUS database): 135 taxa; examples: Thymus zygis, Thymus capitatus, Citrus paradisi, Citrus reticulata, Cymbopogon martini.
Wikidata: names of substances in six languages and taxa in which they occur (largely from the LOTUS database), retrieved 23 October 2026.
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
Allowed with restrictions
Uses covered by the text
An INCIInternational name of cosmetic ingredients: the one printed on the pack. list does not give the actual concentration. The limits below concern the ready-for-use preparation, for the uses stated in the text. Common conditions apply to every case in this entry.
| Product type | Maximum concentration |
|---|---|
| (a) Lip make-up products, lipstick, lip salves | 0.11% |
| (b) Deodorants and antiperspirants | 0.032% |
| (c) Eye products, face make-up and make-up remover | 0.65% |
| (d) Fragrance products (hydroalcoholic and non-hydroalcoholic, spray and non-spray) | 0.6% |
| (e) Leave-on skin products (except lip products, deodorants and antiperspirants, fragrance products, eye products, face make-up and make-up remover) and nail products | 0.15% |
| (f) Oral products | 0.35% |
| (g) Hair leave-on products | 1.2% |
| (h) Skin and hair rinse-off products | 1.2% |
| (i) Leave-on products for the anogenital area (baby wipes and intimate wipes) | 0.063% |
- Other conditions
- The presence of the substance or substances shall be indicated as ‘Citral’ in the list of ingredients referred to in Article 19(1), point (g), when the concentration of the substance or substances exceeds: — 0,001 % in leave-on products — 0,01 % in rinse-off products.
- Rinse-off product: mentioned in the columns below, including exclusions and conditions.
- Leave-on product: mentioned in the columns below, including exclusions and conditions.
- Children under 3: mentioned in the columns below, including exclusions and conditions.
- Application area: mentioned in the columns below, including exclusions and conditions.
- Entry
- Annex III, No 70
- Substance
3,7-Dimethyl-2,6-octadienal; (E)-3,7- dimethylocta-2,6- dienal; (Z)-3,7- dimethylocta-2,6- dienal
- Glossary names
- Citral; Geranial; Neral
- CAS
- 5392-40-5; 141-27-5; 106-26-3
- EC
- 226-394-6; 205-476-5; 203-379-2
Dates in the act (4)
- Entry into force on 18 May 2026
- Placing on the market from 1 January 2027
From 1 January 2027 cosmetic products containing these substances and not complying with the restrictions shall not be placed on the Union market
- Making available from 1 July 2028
From 1 July 2028 cosmetic products containing these substances and not complying with the restrictions shall not be made available on the Union market
- Making available from 1 August 2028
From 1 August 2028 cosmetic products containing these substances and not complying with the restrictions 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.
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annex III, entry 70. CosIng, Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (restricted substances), retrieved 23 October 2026, source updated 13 October 2026.
Entry from Regulation (EU) 2026/909, adopted on 27 April 2026.
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 III, entry 70: introduced or replaced by Regulation (EU) 2026/909
- upcoming
Annex III, entry 70: a new product that does not comply can no longer be placed on the market
- upcoming
Annex III, entry 70: a product that does not comply can no longer be sold, even from stock
- upcoming
Annex III, entry 70: a product that does not comply can no longer be sold, even from stock
Identity
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 ECHAEuropean Chemicals Agency. links are published only when verified: same CosIng identifier, a single item, matching CAS number.
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 | Allowed with restrictions | 0.032 to 1.2% |
| United Kingdom | Allowed with restrictions | not cited |
| Switzerland | EU Regulation applies | 0.032 to 1.2% |
| 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 | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| 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 | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| Taiwan | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| Brazil | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- Allowed with restrictions (Annex III)
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.
Found in 2 US nonprescription products (openFDA).
Page updated on 21 October 2026.