Monitoring report · published 25 March 2025 · reflects the rules at that date

UK’s stricter BHT limits now in effect

Our monitoring reports record the changes to cosmetics rules in a given period, and we publish one each month. Each one is a dated publication: it reflects the rules on the date it was published and is not updated afterwards. For what applies today, read the latest briefings or ask us.

See what happens after launch

What’s new?

The United Kingdom’s regulatory deadline for Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) concentration limits in cosmetic products is now in effect. As detailed in our previous coverage of the UK BHT regulation in September, these restrictions are particularly notable for oral care products, where UK limits are significantly stricter than EU standards:

0.1% maximum in toothpaste
0.001% maximum in mouthwash and leave-on oral care products (compared to 0.8% in the EU)
0.8% maximum in other leave-on and rinse-off products

What now?

The compliance timeline has reached its key dates:

From February 24, 2025: Non-compliant products cannot be placed on the UK market
Until June 24, 2025: Non-compliant products already in the distribution chain may continue to be made available

Companies marketing oral care products in both the UK and EU markets should be particularly attentive to these divergent requirements.