Date: 9 October 2026
Prepared for: Importers, Manufacturers, Suppliers and Buyers of Cosmetic Products for the Australian Market
Regulatory Update: AICIS Publishes New Chemical Assessment Statements – Six Substances with Cosmetics-Relevant Uses
On 21 September 2026, the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) published 11 assessment statements for new industrial chemicals under section 37 of the Industrial Chemicals Act 2019.
For businesses introducing these substances into Australia for cosmetic end uses, the assessment statements define the scope of use and the conditions under which each substance may be introduced. Introducers must hold an assessment certificate, or be covered by one, and must keep their activities within the assessed scope.
This update covers the six cosmetics-relevant substances only involving personal care products, including cosmetics and fine fragrances, and the remaining five statements relate to other laundry and dishwashing products, plastics and polymer products, fuel additives, mining, and fire-resistant self-expanding polyurethane foam, and are not discussed here.
Background:
Under the Industrial Chemicals Act 2019, any business intending to introduce a new chemical not listed on the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals (AIIC) must apply for an assessment certificate, unless the introduction falls within the exempted or reported categories. Introducers must comply with the defined scope of assessment when placing the substance on the Australian market. An assessment statement sets out the chemical identity, the assessed end uses, and the assessment conclusions together with the risk-management conditions that apply.
Timeline:
Substance | AICIS statement reference | Statement date |
Benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, 2-methylpentyl ester(CAS 98969-19-8) | CA09686 | 12 November 2025 |
Dodecanoic acid, 2-sulfoethyl ester, sodium salt (1:1) | CA10078 | 11 December 2025 |
Fatty acids, candelilla wax, mixed esters with jojoba fatty acids, polyglycerol and rice bran-oil fatty acids | CA10064 | 31 March 2026 |
1-Octen-3-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, 3-acetate (CAS 68345-17-5) | CA09951 | 7 April 2026 |
Phenol, 4-(butoxymethyl)-2-methoxy- (CAS 82654-98-6) | CA09909 | 28 April 2026 |
Tetrapleura tetraptera, ext. (CAS 2131091-72-8) | CA10095 | 12 May 2026 |
Assessment Conclusions and Conditions – Australian Scope of Assessment
Chemical name / INCI | CAS No. | AICIS reference | Health Hazard | Defined scope of assessment (Australia) | Import limit (Australia) |
Benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, 2-methylpentyl ester | 98969-19-8 | CA09686 12 Nov 2025 | • Skin sensitiser. • May adversely affect foetal development. | Personal care products (cosmetics) excluding lipsticks and oral care products; laundry and dishwashing products; cleaning and furniture care products; air care products. • up to 100% for finished end-use products • up to 0.1% in cosmetics used by children under 10 years of age • up to 2% in leave-on cosmetics and fine fragrances when not used by children under 10 • less than 3% in rinse-off cosmetics when not used by children under 10 • up to 0.4% in deodorants • up to 3% in laundry and dishwashing, cleaning and furniture care, and air care products | Up to 1 tonne per year. |
Phenol, 4-(butoxymethyl)-2-methoxy- (INCI Vanillyl Butyl Ether) | 82654-98-6 | CA09909 28 Apr 2026 | • Classified for eye irritation, skin sensitisation, skin damage following dermal exposure, and drowsiness or dizziness. | • in Personal care products (cosmetics) except oral care products as a fragrance ingredient at a maximum concentration of 0.1%. • for professional and consumer use. | Up to 0.1 tonne per year. |
1-Octen-3-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, 3-acetate | 68345-17-5 | CA09951 7 Apr 2026 | • Low acute oral toxicity (LD50 > 2,000 mg/kg bw in rats). • Not irritating to skin. • Not likely to be an eye irritant. • Not likely to be a skin sensitiser. • Not likely to cause systemic effects following repeated dermal exposure. • Not genotoxic. Not classified according to GHS for worker health and safety (limited data). Environmental: Aquatic Acute 3, H402 harmful to aquatic life. | • at up to 100% for eformulation into finished end-use products • and for end-use in cosmetics, laundry and dishwashing products, cleaning and furniture care products, air care products, concentrations in end-use products must remain within the assessed limits, including: • up to 10% in scented candles • up to 2.5% in fine fragrances • up to 1.5% in leave-on cosmetics • up to 1% in rinse-off cosmetics and non-spray deodorants • up to 0.5% in hair styling products • up to 1% in laundry and dishwashing products, cleaning and furniture care products, and other air care products. | Up to 1 tonne per year. |
Tetrapleura tetraptera, ext.(INCI Tetrapleura Tetraptera Fruit Extract) | 2131091-72-8 | CA10095 12 May 2026 | • Skin Irritation Category 2. Classified H315 “Causes skin irritation”. • Must not be manufactured in Australia. | Fragrance for import at up to 1% for local reformulation, or in finished products, for end use in personal care products (cosmetics) except oral care products, fine fragrances, cleaning and furniture care products, laundry and dishwashing products, apparel and footwear care products, and air care products: • generally up to 0.1% • up to 0.5% in fine fragrances • up to 1% in continuous-action air fresheners and up to 0.1% in instant-action air fresheners | Up to 25 kg per year. |
Fatty acids, candelilla wax, mixed esters with jojoba fatty acids, polyglycerol and rice bran-oil fatty acids(INCI Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters) | Not specified | CA10064 31 Mar 2026 | • Low acute oral toxicity. • Unlikely to be a skin sensitiser or genotoxic. • Slight to moderate skin irritation and slight eye irritation cannot be excluded. • Not persistent, bioaccumulative or toxic; low risk to aquatic organisms. | Personal care products (cosmetics) at concentrations of up to 5%, including moisturisers, sunscreens, blushes, lipsticks, eyeliners and eye shadows. May be imported at up to 100% concentration for reformulation. | Up to 10 tonnes per year. Must not be manufactured in Australia. |
Dodecanoic acid, 2-sulfoethyl ester, sodium salt (1:1)(INCI Sodium Ethyl 2-Sulfolaurate; CAS 7381-01-3) | Not specified | CA10078 11 Dec 2025 | • Eye Irritation Category 2A. Classified H319 “Causes serious eye irritation”. • Low acute oral toxicity; • no sensitisation potential and no genotoxicity. • Skin irritation cannot be excluded. | Personal care products (cosmetics) except oral care products, for professional workers and the public, as an ingredient at concentrations below 10%. Must not be manufactured in Australia. | Import and local reformulation only, within the assessed volume and use scope. |
Comparison with Other Markets
The table below summarises the status of the same six substances in your other markets. Please note that absence from a restriction list is not a positive approval – see the note below the table.
Chemical name / INCI | USA | Canada | EU | UK | New Zealand |
Benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, 2-methylpentyl ester | No specific federal restriction. | Not on the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. The 2% Hotlist limit applies to salicylic acid (CAS 69-72-7), not to this ester. | Not listed in Annexes II or III to Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. The restrictions on salicylic acid itself (Annex III entry 98; Annex V entry 3) do not extend to this ester. (Annex III entry 328 is Amyl Salicylate, CAS 2050-08-0, a different substance.) | Not listed as a prohibited substance under the retained Regulation 1223/2009. The retained Annex III entry 98 restrictions on salicylic acid apply to the acid and its salts, not to this ester. | Permitted, subject to the Cosmetic Products Group Standard 2020. |
Phenol, 4-(butoxymethyl)-2-methoxy- | No specific federal restriction. | Not on the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. | Not listed in Annexes II or III. Present in CosIng. Permitted. | Not listed as a prohibited substance. Permitted. | Permitted. Does not have an individual approval but may be used under an appropriate group standard. |
1-Octen-3-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, 3-acetate | No specific federal restriction. | Not on the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. | Not listed in Annexes II or III. Permitted. (Annex III entry 174 covers 1-Octen-3-yl acetate, CAS 2442-10-6, the unmethylated parent.) | Not listed as a prohibited substance. Permitted. | Permitted, subject to the Cosmetic Products Group Standard 2020. |
Tetrapleura tetraptera, ext. | No specific federal restriction. | Not on the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. | Not listed in Annexes II or III. Registered in CosIng (Ref. 96471) with fragrance function. Permitted. | Not listed as a prohibited substance. Permitted. | Permitted, subject to the Cosmetic Products Group Standard 2020. |
Fatty acids, candelilla wax, mixed esters with jojoba fatty acids, polyglycerol and rice bran-oil fatty acids | No specific federal restriction. | Not on the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. | Not listed in Annexes II or III. Registered in CosIng. Permitted. | Not listed as a prohibited substance. Permitted. | Permitted, subject to the Cosmetic Products Group Standard 2020. |
Dodecanoic acid, 2-sulfoethyl ester, sodium salt (1:1) | No specific federal restriction. | Not on the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. | Not listed in Annexes II or III. Registered in CosIng as Sodium Ethyl 2-Sulfolaurate (Ref. 79477). Permitted. | Not listed as a prohibited substance. Permitted. | Permitted. Does not have an individual approval but may be used under an appropriate group standard. |
What this means for you
1. Check every substance against the assessed scope before you order. Compare your intended use, concentration and product category against the assessment statement. For benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, 2-methylpentyl ester, check the limit for your specific product type and, separately, the limit that applies if the product is used by children under 10. For Tetrapleura tetraptera, ext., confirm your annual import volume does not exceed 25 kg.
2. Confirm who holds the assessment certificate. These substances are new to the AIIC. If a substance is not yet listed, it cannot be introduced under the exempted or reported categories. The certificate must be held by the introducer, or the introducer must be covered by it. Ask your supplier for the certificate number and the assessed scope it covers.
3. Do not read the Australian position across to other markets, or the reverse. Australia requires an assessment certificate for these substances, and the concentration limits are specific to the Australian assessment. The EU and UK have not identified them as prohibited or restricted, Canada has not listed them on the Hotlist, and the US has no specific federal restriction.
4. Read across from the salicylate parent, but do not assume the restriction transfers. The AICIS assessment for benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, 2-methylpentyl ester (CA09686) states that the substance hydrolyses into salicylic acid (CAS 69-72-7) under physiological conditions, and the assessment relies on salicylic acid data for systemic and developmental toxicity. The ester itself is not listed in the EU or UK Annexes and is not on the Canadian Hotlist, so the parent acid's numeric limits (EU 3.0% / 2.0% / 0.5%; Canada 2%) are not legal limits for the ester. They remain the right reference points for your safety assessment and CPSR read-across justification.
How We Can Support You
Area | Our services |
Assessment scope verification | Review of your intended use, concentration and product category against the AICIS assessment statement conditions. |
AIIC listing status check | Confirmation of whether a substance is listed on the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals, and what its listing conditions are. |
Multi-standard compliance review | Assessment of your product against Australian, EU, UK, US, Canadian and New Zealand requirements. |
AICIS application support | Assistance with assessment certificate applications and scope variations. |
Regulatory monitoring | Tracking of AICIS Rolling Action Plan updates, inventory listing variations and assessment outcomes. |
If you would like to discuss how these requirements apply to your product range, please do not hesitate to reach out. For further information, the assessment statements are available on the AICIS website and the AIIC can be searched online. Should you require support with Australian market compliance, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Reference: AICIS – New chemical assessment statements published 21 September 2026 (section 37, Industrial Chemicals Act 2019), reference numbers CA09337 to CA10150. Individual assessment statements CA09686, CA10078, CA10064, CA09951, CA09909 and CA10095. Inventory listing notices for CAS 98969-19-8 (listing date 3 December 2025) and CAS 2131091-72-8 (listing date 5 June 2026).
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