EU
Preservative
Annex V · entry 57
Rule
Preservative, rinse-off products only
Maximum
0.0015% (15 ppm)
Regulation
(EU) 2017/1224
New products
Must comply from 27 January 2018
Products on sale
Must comply from 27 April 2018
Is MIT banned in cosmetics? Only rinse-off, up to 0.0015%. In the EU and in Türkiye.
Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) is a preservative and a frequent cause of contact allergy. It may be used only in rinse-off products, such as shampoo and shower gel, up to 0.0015%; creams and other leave-on products may not contain it. Türkiye’s annex has the same rule.
Türkiye
Preservative
Ek V · entry 57
Rule
Preservative, rinse-off products only
Maximum
0.0015%
Both markets apply the same limit. The 3:1 mixture with methylchloroisothiazolinone (Annex V, entry 39) is also rinse-off only, up to 0.0015% of the mixture.
What it is. The EU annex entry.
INCI name | Methylisothiazolinone |
|---|---|
Chemical name | 2-Methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one |
CAS | 2682-20-4 |
EC | 220-239-6 |
EU entry | Annex V · 57 · (EU) 2017/1224 |
Entry updated | 27/07/2020 |
Conditions · EU text
All products
Max 0,0015 % Rinse-off products
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.
Allergies to MIT rose. The SCCS found 0.0015% safe in rinse-off products as far as inducing contact allergy goes (opinion of 15 December 2015), so the EU lowered the limit from 0.01%.
Questions about this ingredient.
Can a cream contain MIT?
No. Creams and other leave-on products may not contain it; MIT is allowed only in rinse-off products, up to 0.0015%.
What about the MCI/MIT mixture?
Annex V, entry 39 allows the 3:1 mixture of methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone only in rinse-off products, up to 0.0015% of the mixture. Türkiye’s annex has the same entry.