Date: 16 October 2026
Prepared for: Importers, Manufacturers, Suppliers and Buyers of Cosmetic Products for the European Union, United Kingdom and Global Markets
IFRA 52nd Amendment - Key Changes and Compliance Timeline Confirmed
Background:
IFRA published its End of Consultation Letter for the 52nd Amendment to the IFRA Standards on 31 August 2026, following the close of the public consultation on 12 June 2026. The letter confirms the final scope and sets out the changes that will take effect once the formal Notification is published, expected in the second or third week of January 2027. Until the 52nd Amendment is formally notified, the IFRA 51st Amendment remains fully applicable.
The 52nd Amendment introduces 48 new restriction Standards and revises 15 restriction Standards, adds a maximum concentration limit for musk ketone, introduces a new specification requirement for acetylated vetiver oil, revises three phototoxicity Standards,and rewrites the furocoumarin Standard so that it is no longer limited to citrus oils.
What Has Changed
The table below summarises the final scope confirmed on 31 August 2026, compared with the original consultation proposal.
Element | Final position (31 August 2026) |
New restrictio Standards | 37 addressing potential dermal sensitisation withevaluation of systemic toxicity endpoints, plus 11 based solely on QRA2 |
Revised restriction Standards | 15 revised to reflect updated RIFM Safety Assessments |
Musk ketone (CAS 81-14-1) | Maximum concentration levels added, taken from the RIFM Safety Assessment |
Acetylated vetiver oil (CAS 84082-84-8, 68917-34-0, 73246-97-6, 62563-80-8) | New specification - the material must be stabilised by adding 1% α-tocopherol at the point of production |
Phototoxicity | Three Standards revised - Category 10B products move to an incidental exposure basis, aligned with rinse-off at 50 ppm |
Furocoumarins | Renamed “Furocoumarins in Natural Complex Substances”, extending beyond citrus to all natural complex substances and working from eight furocoumarin markers |
Oxacyclohexadecen-2-one (CAS 34902-57-3) and Dihydrofarnesal (CAS 194934-66-2) | Both Standards withdrawn. New data no longer support treating either substance as a skin sensitiser, so neither will form part of the Notification. |
Isoamyl Salicylate | Proposed restriction postponed. Treat as temporary – RIFM is expected to publish an updated Safety Assessment. |
The Rewritten Furocoumarin Standard
This is the most significant change for cosmetic products. It introduces a three-tier system based on exposure conditions.
l How Furocoumarins Are Currently Regulated in the EU
Annex II, entry 358 to Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 is the current EU legal position. The entry sits in the list of substances which must not form part of a cosmetic product, but carries an exemption for the normal content in natural essences used. The Regulation states:
“Furocoumarins (e.g. trioxysalan, 8-methoxypsoralen, 5-methoxypsoralen) except for normal content in natural essences used. In sun protection and in bronzing products, furocoumarins shall be below 1 mg/kg.”
The 1 ppm threshold is expressed only for sun protection and bronzing products. For all other product types the Regulation does not set a numerical limit on furocoumarin content.
l What SCCP Said
The SCCP opinion SCCP/0942/05 took a broader position. It stated:
“As the consumer is exposed to sunlight after using various types of cosmetic products, not only bronzing or sun protection products, the SCCP re-emphasise that total concentrations of furocoumarins exceeding 1 ppm in any finished cosmetic product will be of concern with regard to consumer safety.”
The SCCP recommended extending the 1 ppm level to all finished cosmetic products.
l What IFRA 52nd Amendment will Introduce
The new limits are:
Product type | Limit | Basis |
Products intended for sun exposure, including products bearing an SPF claim | 1 ppm | Highest UVA exposure |
All other leave-on products | 5 ppm | Incidental sunlight exposure |
Rinse-off products, including all Category 10A detergent and laundry products | 50 ppm | Minimal exposure |
One consequence is worth noting: notifying the revised Standard will withdraw eight individual NCS Standards, as they are now covered by the single Standard. If your fragrance portfolio declares compliance against any of them, your supplier will need to reissue the documentation rather than carry the old entry forward.
Standard name | CAS number(s) | Status |
Angelica root oil | 8015-64-3 | Withdrawn and no longer valid |
Bergamot oil expressed | 908007-75-8 | Withdrawn and no longer valid |
Bitter orange peel oil expressed | 68916-04-1, 72968-50-4 | Withdrawn and no longer valid |
Cumin oil | 8014-13-9 | Withdrawn and no longer valid |
Grapefruit oil expressed | 8016-20-4 | Withdrawn and no longer valid |
Lemon oil cold expressed | 8008-56-8 | Withdrawn and no longer valid |
Lime oil expressed | 8008-26-2 | Withdrawn and no longer valid |
Rue oil | 8014-29-7 | Withdrawn and no longer valid |
Timeline:
IFRA has extended the preparatory phase by two months compared with the 51st Amendment, specifically to allow time for IT system updates and for collecting supply chain information for the revised furocoumarin Standard.
Milestone | Entry into force |
Consultation closed | 12 June 2026 |
End of Consultation Letter published | 31 August 2026 |
Formal Notification | Second or third week of January 2027 |
Standards enter into force - new products | 11 months after the Notification |
Standards enter into force -existingproducts | 30 months after the Notification |
What this means for you
The 52nd Amendment is a two-stage transition, not a single deadline. While the Notification is still pending:
l Determine now whether each product is new or existing. This sets your compliance timeline and cannot be reliably reconstructed later.
l Review every fragrance used in products with an SPF claim or marketed for sun-exposed use. These fall under the 1 ppm furocoumarin limit. Request furocoumarin content for each natural complex substance, expressed as the eight marker substances. Grade matters - expressed, distilled and furocoumarin-free citrus oils can differ significantly.
l Ask every fragrance supplierin writingwhich Standards they expect to be notified. A general “IFRA compliant” statement is not enough — you need to know which amendment each compound was assessed against.
l Do not treat the Annex on Contributions from Other Sources as an exhaustive reference. IFRA is strengthening its disclaimer, stating that the Annex provides indicative information and that the absence of a natural complex substance from it should not be taken as evidence of absence, nor as an indication that no further assessment of restricted constituents is required.
l Check whether any documentation relieson the eight individual natural complex substance Standards being withdrawn. These will need to be reissued against the revised furocoumarin Standard.
l Where a certificate states that no furocoumarin impact is expected, prefer that wording over a “free from” declaration, which IFRA warns may be misread as a free-from claim.
l Treat the isoamyl salicylate postponement as temporary. RIFM will publish an updated Safety Assessment and the substance is expected to return in a later Amendment. Do not assume it will remain unregulated.
l Acting now allows reformulation budgets to be planned against a confirmed scope and gives your supply chain time before the Standards take effect. We can support your fragrance documentation review once the final Standards are notified in January.
For further information, the End of Consultation Letter is available on the IFRA website. The formal Notification, expected in January 2027, will contain the definitive Standards and may revise this scope. Please re-verify all dates and limits once the Notification is published.
Reference: IFRA — End of Consultation on the 52nd Amendment to the IFRA Standards, 31 August 2026 (16 pages). Notification of the 51st Amendment to the IFRA Standards, 30 June 2023 — current 51st Amendment timeline reference. IFRA Standards and the Guidance for their use, together with the Expert Panel for Fragrance Safety and the RIFM Safety Assessments.
© 2026 EASYHARMONY TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED (EHC). All rights reserved.