Ingredient Index

Is Alpha-Arbutin banned in Europe?

Restricted in EU

No: alpha-arbutin is restricted, not banned, in the EU. Since the 2024 amendment it's capped at 2% in face creams and 0.5% in body lotions, while the US sets no concentration limit and products commonly run higher.

CAS: 84380-01-8 Also seen as: Arbutin, 4-Hydroxyphenyl alpha-D-glucopyranoside, a-Arbutin

What the EU does

Restricted, not banned. Alpha-arbutin is a popular skin-brightening agent used to fade dark spots and even out tone. Regulation (EU) 2024/996 added it to Annex III of the Cosmetics Regulation, the list of substances allowed only under limits. Under that amendment, alpha-arbutin is capped at a maximum of 2% in face creams and 0.5% in body lotions, and is permitted for the skin-lightening function only. The compliance dates: non-compliant products could no longer be placed on the EU market from February 1, 2025, and could no longer be made available from November 1, 2025.

The concern is what arbutin becomes. On the skin and in the body it can break down into hydroquinone, a potent skin-lightening agent that the EU bans from leave-on cosmetics. The Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety reviewed alpha-arbutin and arbutin in 2023 and concluded the caps were needed to keep hydroquinone exposure to trace levels. Regular arbutin, the beta form, is restricted under the same regulation with its own separate face-cream cap.

Citation Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annex III; Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/996 (alpha-arbutin: 2% face creams, 0.5% body lotions); SCCS/1642/22

What the US does

Permitted, with no FDA concentration limit. Alpha-arbutin is widely sold in US brightening serums and dark-spot treatments, commonly at 2% and not unusually at higher strengths in concentrated products. The FDA has not set a cap the way the EU now has.

So this is a clean restriction story, the same shape as kojic acid and retinol. Both regions allow alpha-arbutin, but the EU has drawn explicit lines around how strong it can be and in what product type, tied to limiting downstream hydroquinone, while the US leaves concentration to the formulator. A US serum may legally contain more alpha-arbutin than an EU-compliant version of the same product.

Citation FDA: no specific concentration limit for alpha-arbutin in cosmetics

Products that commonly contain it

Alpha-arbutin is a dark-spot and hyperpigmentation treatment, prized for being gentler than hydroquinone. It shows up in:

Brightening and dark-spot serums (often at 2%)
Melasma and post-acne-mark treatments
Tone-evening moisturizers and essences, common in K-beauty lines
Some "glow" or radiance boosters layered under other actives

What to look for on a label

On an INCI list, look for these names:

"Alpha-Arbutin" or "a-Arbutin" in the ingredient list
"Arbutin" alone usually means the beta form, which has a separate EU limit
EU-compliant products will be face formulas at 2% or less, or body formulas at 0.5% or less
A US serum advertising "4%" or "7% arbutin" exceeds what EU rules now allow for the alpha form

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Frequently asked questions

Is alpha-arbutin banned in Europe?

No. It is restricted, not banned. Since Regulation (EU) 2024/996, alpha-arbutin is capped at 2% in face creams and 0.5% in body lotions, for skin-lightening use only.

When did the EU alpha-arbutin limit take effect?

Non-compliant products could no longer be placed on the EU market from February 1, 2025, and could no longer be made available from November 1, 2025.

Why did the EU restrict alpha-arbutin?

Arbutin can break down into hydroquinone, which the EU bans in leave-on cosmetics. The SCCS concluded that capping arbutin keeps hydroquinone exposure to trace levels.

Is alpha-arbutin legal in the United States?

Yes. The FDA permits it with no specific concentration limit, so US products may contain more than an EU-compliant formula would.

Related ingredients

Primary sources

Last reviewed June 23, 2026 · How we assign statuses