Lilial ingredient ban commences in Great Britain

Beauty products containing the fragrance ingredient butylphenyl methylpropional (BMHCA), also known as lilial, have been banned from UK shelves.

On 15 December 2022, the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association (CTPA) marked the "making available on the market (off-shelf)" deadline for products containing BMHCA. This means that such products needed to be removed from shelves in the GB market.

The BMHCA ban has been in place in the EU and Northern Ireland since 1 March 2022, with the legislative process beginning before the UK left the EU.

It has been classified as a carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic (CMR) category 1B substance under the EU and GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulations.

The CTPA emphasised that the ban is due to the "hazardous properties a substance might have under a worst case situation. It does not take account of whether there is any risk associated with specific uses or exposures".

In Great Britain, the key dates for BMHCA-containing products were 15 October 2022 for a "placing on the market" deadline and 15 December 2022 for the "making available on the market (off-shelf)" deadline.