EU
Restricted
Annex III · entry 375
Rule
Restricted
Regulation
(EU) 2024/996
Allowed in
Face and hand products, up to 1%
New products
Must comply from 1 February 2025
Products on sale
Must comply from 1 November 2025
Is kojic acid restricted in cosmetics? In the EU, yes. In Türkiye, no limit.
Kojic acid is a skin-lightening ingredient. The EU allows it only in face and hand products, up to 1%. New products must comply from 1 February 2025, and every product on sale from 1 November 2025. Türkiye’s annexes do not list it.
Türkiye
Not listed
Not in the annexes
Rule
No prohibition or limit in Ek II–VI
What applies
The general safety rule: the safety assessor decides the level.
A body lotion made in Türkiye for the EU market must not contain kojic acid.
What it is. The EU annex entry.
INCI name | Kojic Acid |
|---|---|
Chemical name | 5-Hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-4H-pyrane-4-one |
CAS | 501-30-4 |
EC | 207-922-4 |
EU entry | Annex III · 375 · (EU) 2024/996 |
Entry updated | 04/04/2024 |
Conditions · EU text
Face and hand products
Max 1 %
From 1 February 2025 cosmetic products containing that substance and not complying with the conditions shall not be placed on the Union market. From 1 November 2025 cosmetic products containing that substance and not complying with the conditions shall not be made available on the Union market.
The EU entry is from the Commission’s CosIng file of 13 Oct 2026; Türkiye’s from the current annex text on mevzuat.gov.tr, read 2 Nov 2026.
Why. The reason behind the rule.
Kojic acid was reviewed among substances with possible endocrine-disrupting properties. The SCCS found it safe as a skin-lightening agent up to 1% (opinion of March 2022), so the EU limited it to face and hand products at that level.
Questions about this ingredient.
Can a body lotion contain kojic acid?
Not in the EU: it is allowed only in face and hand products, up to 1%.
Is kojic acid restricted in Türkiye?
Türkiye’s annexes do not list it, so there is no annex limit there. A product for the EU has to meet the EU rule.