The size of the global beauty and personal care market is astounding and is expected to approach $700 billion in 2026. From scented shampoos festooned with exotic oils to anti-aging creams and blemish-removers, those who can afford them seem to have a bottomless appetite for new products. Discerning consumers, however, may notice small but significant differences in ingredient lists depending on whether their purchases are made in the European Union or the United States.
These differences may look random but reflect longstanding differences in public health philosophies. “The EU tends to act on early signals, animal studies, preliminary lab findings, and the U.S. believes in waiting for real-world evidence before restricting anything,” said Ashley Fike at Vice. Still, the scope of the beauty market means that regulators need to stay vigilant even after bans are issued. Consumer Reports, for example, found methylene chloride in a number of hair dyes that the company tested in April 2026, despite the chemical being banned in the U.S. for cosmetics products since 1989.
Here are six prominent examples of beauty products and ingredients the EU has prohibited that remain legal in the U.S.
Coal Tar Dyes
Unlike many of the substances on this list, coal tar dyes are exactly what they sound like — or at least they were when they were invented. They are “mainly derived from petroleum nowadays, but they have retained their original name,” said Consumer Reports.
The FDA “must approve these color additives for use” in most beauty care products, although a loophole still exists for hair dyes, “which do not require FDA approval as long as the product includes a special cautionary statement and directions for a preliminary skin test,” said Consumer Reports. Hair dyes have been linked to increased risk of a number of different cancers, “including uterine and breast cancer, as well as the formation of ovarian tumors,” said the Environmental Working Group.
Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives
Formaldehyde is a commonly used ingredient in nail polishes, hair straighteners and even some liquid baby soaps in the United States. In liquid baby soaps, consumers may find these formaldehyde releasers in ingredient lists: DMDM hydantoin, quaternium-15, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, bronopol and sodium hydroxymethylglycinate.
Yet these ingredients are typically found only in trace amounts in baby soap products. “Maybe the greatest benefit of fearmongering about formaldehyde in shampoo is to make mommy breathless,” said Joe Schwarcz at McGill University. The chemicals, in the end, are found in higher concentrations in products like hair gels and dyes. Some states are running ahead of the federal government on this front, with Washington banning the use of formaldehyde-releasing chemicals in 2025.
Hydroquinone
Hydroquinone “works by decreasing the production and increasing the degradation of melanin pigments in the skin” and thereby “increasing the risk of skin cancer,” said the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. In the U.S. it is mostly used in skin-lightening products purchased mostly by people of color, making its continued legality especially problematic.
The EU has banned all use of hydroquinone in cosmetics, while the U.S. has required a prescription to access such products since 2021. As with many other such ingredients, it is relatively easy to acquire them without a prescription if you know where to look. Regulators promised to “take action against those continuing to market these potentially harmful and illegal OTC products,” said the FDA.
Parabens
Parebens are “chemicals known for their preservative and antimicrobial properties” that “protect products from the things that shorten shelf life, such as yeast, bacteria and mold,” said the Cleveland Clinic. Just as the United States has more permissive rules governing these items’ use in food products, so too are parabens more likely to be found in beauty products in the U.S. versus the EU.
Parabens that are banned in the EU include isopropylparaben, isobutylparaben, phenylparaben, benzylparaben and pentylparaben, while others like propylparaben and butylparaben are allowed only under strict concentration limits. As for the U.S., we “do not have information showing that parabens as they are used in cosmetics have an effect on human health,” said the FDA.
Phthalates
Phthalates are “typically colorless liquids used to make plastics more flexible and resilient,” said the Centers for Disease Control. Some studies suggest that these chemicals can “disrupt hormones and damage the reproductive system,” said the Environmental Working Group.
The EU has banned the use of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) in cosmetics and personal care products. You can find phthalates in a number of products in the U.S., including nail polish removers and scented soaps. Critics charge that the U.S. has largely allowed the beauty and personal care industry to regulate itself. U.S. government regulators insist they don’t “have evidence that phthalates as used in cosmetics pose a safety risk,” said the FDA.
Triclosan
Triclosan is an “antimicrobial agent found in a wide variety of antibacterial soaps and detergents, as well as in many deodorants, toothpastes, cosmetics, fabrics and plastics,” said the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics. There is also evidence that it is an “endocrine disruptor and impacts thyroid function and thyroid homeostasis.”
The chemical remains an ingredient in countless products from whitening toothpastes to eyeshadows, although the FDA did ban its inclusion in household soap products in 2016. Companies can still include triclosan in over-the-counter antiseptic after going through a premarket review process with the FDA, and the chemical can be used without restriction in cosmetics and toothpastes. In the EU, triclosan is completely banned in cosmetics as of 2025, and products containing it “can no longer be made available on the European market,” said the Obelis Group.
Formaldehyde and other known carcinogens are among ingredients that can still legally be included in American cosmetics
