PHENOL
Official label name (INCIInternational name of cosmetic ingredients: the one printed on the pack. name, EU glossary of cosmetic ingredient names), No 20703
- Prohibited in cosmetics (Annex II)
PHENOL: Prohibited in cosmetics (Annex II, entry 1175), under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. 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
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
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 CLPEU regulation that classifies chemicals by their hazards (EC No 1272/2008). Regulation: skin corrosion, category 1B (Skin Corr. 1B).
Environment
No official classification as hazardous to the aquatic environment and no assessment 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:
Antimicrobial: helps control the growth of micro-organisms on the skin.
Denaturant: renders cosmetics unpalatable. Mostly added to cosmetics containing ethyl alcohol.
Deodorant: reduces or masks unpleasant body odours.
Fragrance.
Oral care: provides cosmetic effects to the oral cavity, e.g. cleansing, deodorising, protecting.
Preservative: inhibits primarily the development of micro-organisms in cosmetics.
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 mutagenic (may damage DNA), 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 PHENOL to this Annex II entry.
- Entry
- Annex II, No 1175
- Substance
- Phenol
- CAS
- 108-95-2
- EC
- 203-632-7
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 1175: introduced or replaced by Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009
Annex II, entry 1175: applies from this date
CLP classification “Muta. 2” applicable at the latest from this date (Regulation (EU) 2018/669)
Identity
- CosIng identifier
- 84278
- CAS (according to CosIng)
- 108-95-2
- EC (according to CosIng)
- 203-632-7
- Declared functions
- Antimicrobial, Denaturant, Deodorant, Fragrance, Oral care, Preservative
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.
phenol; carbolic acid; monohydroxybenzene; phenylalcohol
Germ cell mutagenicity, category 2 (Muta. 2)
- Hazard classes
- Germ cell mutagenicity, category 2 (Muta. 2)
Acute toxicity, category 3 (Acute Tox. 3)
Specific target organ toxicity, repeated exposure, category 2 (STOT RE 2)
Skin corrosion, category 1B (Skin Corr. 1B) - Hazard statements
- H341 H331 H311 H301 H373 ** H314
EU product alerts (Safety Gate)
11 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).
The 10 most recent are listed below. All alerts.
- 10 April 2026: Temporary henna tattoo, Hania, United Kingdom in respect of Northern Ireland (“Serious risk”) alert
- 20 June 2025: Temporary henna tattoo, Nadara, United Kingdom in respect of Northern Ireland (“Serious risk”) alert
- 14 February 2020: Henna product, Malki Mumtaz, Austria (“Serious risk”) alert
7 other alerts
- 14 September 2018: Henna Product, Malika, Ireland (“Serious risk”) alert
- 9 December 2016: Bath products, GLOSS – WHOOPENSOCKER, France (“Serious risk”) alert
- 30 September 2016: Henna body colour, Al Arabia, Germany (“Serious risk”) alert
- 9 September 2016: Toothpaste, Vicco, France (“Serious risk”) alert
- 24 June 2016: Henna body colour, Hemani, Germany (“Serious risk”) alert
- 1 April 2016: Henna body colour, Arzoo, Germany (“Serious risk”) alert
- 6 May 2011: Hairspray "Color-Haarspray (4 different shades),, Pyro-Partner, Germany (“Serious risk”) alert
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 | Allowed under conditions differs from the EU | 0.1% |
| 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.
Japan
- Allowed under conditions: フェノール (Phenol)
Annex 3-1 (allowed preservatives), entry 14, page 7. Limit: 0.10 g per 100 g of product.
Conditions, source text, in Japanese
[sub-list] 1 すべての化粧品に配合の制限がある成分 | 100g中の最大配合量（g）: 0.10
South Korea
- Prohibited: 페놀 (PHENOL)
별표 1 (prohibited substances), entry 897, page 45.
China
- Prohibited: 苯酚 (Phenol （CAS No. 108-95-2）)
表1 化妆品禁用原料目录 (prohibited substances, 2021年第74号), entry 1035, page 附件2 (.doc) table row 1035 ; TID reprint p.40.
Brazil
- Prohibited: Fenol
RDC 529/2021, Anexo (prohibited substances), entry 1175, page 40.
Conditions, source text, in Portuguese
N° UE: 1175
Glossary: Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175. Page updated on 21 October 2026.