Recently, the Annexes of the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive (ACD) were updated, with additions, amendments and deletions to the substances listed as prohibited, restricted, permitted colouring agents, and permitted preservatives. CIRS Group has compiled and summarized the revision contents below.
The ASEAN Cosmetic Directive
The ASEAN Cosmetic Directive (ACD) is a regional agreement aimed at harmonizing cosmetic product requirements among ASEAN member states in order to reduce technical barriers to trade and facilitate the free movement of cosmetics within the region. The ASEAN Cosmetic Committee (ACC) and the ASEAN Cosmetic Scientific Body (ACSB) meet twice a year to review and update cosmetic-related regulations, including amendments to the ACD Annexes.
The latest revised versions of Annex II (list of substances prohibited), Annex III (list of restricted substances), Annex IV (list of permitted colouring agents), and Annex VI (list of permitted preservatives) were officially released on June 30, 2026.
Specific Update Contents
Note: the highlighted portions below indicate this round of updates.
Annex II — List of Substances Prohibited
1. Entry No. 450 amended — its corresponding CAS number deleted
| Substance Name | CAS No. | Reference No. |
| Verbena essential oils (Lippia citriodora Kunth.) and derivatives other than absolute (CAS No 8024-12-2), when used as a fragrance ingredient. | 8024-12-2 | 450 |
2. Entry No. 1541 amended — threshold requirements for benzene adjusted
| Substance Name | CAS No. | Reference No. |
| Petroleum, coal, tar and natural gas and their derivatives generated using distillation and/or other processing methods if they contain ≥ 0.1 % w/w benzene or if they contain ≥ 0.005 % w/w benzo[a]pyrene | 85029-51-2 [1]; 84650-04-4 [2]; 84989-09-3 [3]; 91995-49-2 [4]; 121620-47-1 [5]; 121620-48-2 [6]; 90640-90-7 [7]; 90641-04-6 [8]; 101896-27-9 [9]; 101794-91-6 [10]; 91995-48-1 [11]; 90641-05-7 [12]; 84989-12-8 [13]; 121620-46-0 [14]; 90640-81-6 [15]; 90640-82-7 [16]; 92061-92-2 [17]; 91995-15-2 [18]; 91995-16-3 [19]; 91995-17-4 [20]; 101316-87-4 [21]; 122384-78-5 [22]; 84988-93-2 [23]; 90640-88-3 [24]; 65996-83-0 [25]; 90640-89-4 [26]; 90641-06-8 [27]; 65996-85-2 [28]; 101316-86-3 [29]; 92062-22-1 [30]; 96690-55-0 [31]; 84989-04-8 [32]; 84989-05-9 [33]; 84989-06-0 [34]; 84989-03-7 [35]; 84989-07-1 [36]; 68477-23-6 [37]; 68555-24-8 [38]; 91079-47-9 [39]; 92062-26-5 [40]; 94114-29-1 [41]; 90641-00-2 [42]; 68513-87-1 [43]; 70321-67-4 [44]; 92062-29-8 [45]; 100801-63-6 [46]; 100801-65-8 [47]; 100801-66-9 [48]; 73665-18-6 [49]; 68815-21-4 [50]; 65996-86-3 [51]; 65996-84-1 [52] | 1541 |
3. Entry No. 1717 deleted
| Substance Name | CAS No. | Reference No. |
| N-carboxymethyliminobis(ethylenenitrilo)tetra(acetic acid); Pentetic Acid (INCI) Except Thailand |
67-43-6 | 1717 |
4. Four new entries added — Nos. 1725–1728
| Substance Name | CAS No. | Reference No. |
| Bifonazole | 60628-96-8 | 1725 |
| Clotrimazole | 23593-75-1 | 1726 |
| Thiabendazole | 148-79-8 | 1727 |
| Tioconazole | 65899-73-2 | 1728 |
Annex III — List of Restricted Substances
1. Entry No. 206 amended — related names added and corresponding CAS number deleted
| Ref. No. ACD # (EU #) |
Substance Name / CAS No. | Restrictions | Conditions of use and warnings which mus be printed on the labels | ||
| Field of application and/or use | Maximum authorized concentration in the ready for use preparation | Other limitations and requirements | |||
| A | B | C | D | E | F |
| 206 |
Verbena absolute (Lippia citriodora Kunth.) Related Verbena absolutes: CAS No 8024-12-2 |
0.2% | |||
2. Entry No. 343 amended — exemption clause 'Except Indonesia' deleted
| Ref. No. ACD # (EU #) |
Substance Name / CAS No. | Restrictions | Conditions of use and warnings which mus be printed on the labels | ||
| Field of application and/or use | Maximum authorized concentration in the ready for use preparation | Other limitations and requirements | |||
| A | B | C | D | E | F |
| 343 (373) |
Genisteol; 4',5,7-Trihydroxyisoflavone; 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-benzopyrone; Genistein Except Indonesia |
0.007% | |||
3. Two new restricted substances added — Nos. 345 and 346
| Ref. No. ACD # (EU #) | Substance Name / CAS No. | Restrictions | Conditions of use and warnings which mus be printed on the labels | ||
| Field of application and/or use | Maximum authorized concentration in the ready for use preparation | Other limitations and requirements | |||
| A | B | C | D | E | F |
| 345 | Margosa, ext. [from the kernels of Azadirachta indica extracted with water and further processed with organic solvents] (23) (CAS No: 84696-25-3) |
All cosmetic products | 0.1% | ||
|
346 (375) |
Kojic Acid | (a) Face (neck), hand leave-on and all rinse-off products (b) Body leave-on products |
(a) 1.0% (b) 0.2% |
||
Meanwhile, footnote (23) was added:
(23) other Azadirachta extracts, apart from those specifically mentioned in this entry, are permitted for use unless otherwise restricted or specified in other Annexes.
Annex IV — List of Permitted Colouring Agents
The restrictions and requirements corresponding to colouring agent CI 45430 amended
| Colour Index No. or Denomination | Colour | Field of application | Other limitations and requirements | |||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 45430 (2) | Red | X | 10% max. concentration in lip products. 0.0025% max. concentration in toothpaste and products to be used in contact with the mucous membranes of the oral cavity |
|||
Note on Field of Application:
- Column 1: Colouring agents allowed in all cosmetic products;
- Column 2: Colouring agents allowed in all cosmetic products except those intended to be applied in the vicinity of the eyes, in particular eye make-up and eye make-up remover;
- Column 3: Colouring agents allowed exclusively in cosmetic products intended not to come into contact with the mucous membranes;
- Column 4: Colouring agents allowed exclusively in cosmetic products intended to come into contact only briefly with the skin.
(2): The insoluble barium, strontium and zirconium lakes, salts and pigments of these colouring agents shall also be permitted. They must pass the test for insolubility, which will be determined by the procedure laid down in Article 9.
Annex VI — List of Permitted Preservatives
Entries No. 40 and No. 41 deleted
| Ref. No. | Substance Name | Maximum authorized concentration | Limitations and requirements | Conditions of use and warnings which must be printed on the label |
| a | b | c | d | e |
| 40 | 2-Benzyl-4-chlorophenol (chlorophene) | 0.2% | ||
| 41 | 2-Chloroacetamide | 0.3% | Contains chloroacetamide |
CIRS Reminder
This ACD Annex update involves multiple changes to the prohibited, restricted, permitted-colouring-agent and permitted-preservative lists, with a direct impact on cosmetics companies targeting the ASEAN market. CIRS Group offers the following reminders:
- Check the prohibited list (Annex II): note the multiple newly added substances (e.g., azole antifungal agents — Bifonazole, Clotrimazole, Thiabendazole, Tioconazole) and the tightened threshold requirement for benzene (prohibited if ≥ 0.1% w/w benzene or ≥ 0.005% w/w benzo[a]pyrene); verify the purity of mineral-origin raw materials;
- Review the restricted list (Annex III): pay attention to newly added/revised entries such as Kojic Acid (max 1.0% for face/hand leave-on and all rinse-off; 0.2% for body leave-on), Margosa (Azadirachta indica) extract (0.1%), and Verbena absolute (0.2%); adjust formulations where necessary;
- Permitted colouring agents and preservatives (Annex IV & VI): the restrictions for CI 45430 (Red) have been refined — 10% max in lip products and 0.0025% max in toothpaste / oral-mucosa-contact products; Chlorophene and 2-Chloroacetamide have been removed from the permitted preservative list — relevant formulations must switch preservative systems;
- Note member-state differences and transitional periods: some entries retain or remove country-specific exemptions (e.g., "Except Thailand" / "Except Indonesia"); companies should confirm whether each target member state has adopted the update and plan reformulation of legacy products accordingly.
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