On July 10, 2026, the State of Illinois officially enacted the Chemicals in Cosmetic Products Act. The legislation aims to align state standards with prohibitions established under EU Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and its subsequent amendments regarding intentionally added chemical ingredients in cosmetics, signaling a growing trend toward global convergence in cosmetic safety regulation.
Core Provisions of the Act
Beginning July 1, 2028, except under specified circumstances, no entity or individual may manufacture, transport, store, or sell cosmetic products within the State of Illinois containing any of the following intentionally added ingredients:
- Ftalato di dibutile (CAS No. 84-74-2)
- Diethylhexyl phthalate (CAS No. 117-81-7)
- Formaldeide (CAS No. 50-00-0)
- Paraformaldeide (CAS No. 30525-89-4)
- Metandiolo (CAS No. 463-57-0)
- Quaternium-15 (CAS No. 51229-78-8)
- Mercurio (CAS No. 7439-97-6)
- isobutilparabene (CAS No. 4247-02-3)
- Isopropilparabene (CAS No. 4191-73-5)
- m-Fenilendiammina e i suoi sali (CAS No. 108-45-2)
- o-Fenilendiammina e i suoi sali (CAS No. 95-54-5)
- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their salts, including:
- (A) Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) or heptadecafluorooctane-1-sulfonic acid (CAS No. 1763-23-1)
- (B) Potassium perfluorooctanesulfonate or potassium heptadecafluorooctane-1-sulfonate (CAS No. 2795-39-3)
- (C) Diethanolamine perfluorooctane sulfonate (CAS No. 70225-14-8)
- (D) Ammonium perfluorooctane sulfonate or ammonium heptadecafluorooctanesulfonate (CAS No. 29081-56-9)
- (E) Lithium perfluorooctane sulfonate or lithium heptadecafluorooctanesulfonate (CAS No. 29457-72-5)
- (F) Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) (CAS No. 335-67-1)
- (G) Ammonium pentadecafluorooctanoate (CAS No. 3825-26-1)
- (H) Nonadecafluorodecanoic acid (CAS No. 335-76-2)
- (I) Ammonium nonadecafluorodecanoate (CAS No. 3108-42-7)
- (J) Sodium nonadecafluorodecanoate (CAS No. 3830-45-3)
- (K) Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) (CAS No. 375-95-1)
- (L) Sodium heptadecafluorononanoate (CAS No. 21049-39-8)
- (M) Ammonium perfluorononanoate (CAS No. 4149-60-4)
Exemption Criteria
The act establishes a specific trace impurity exemption: if a cosmetic product is manufactured using processes designed to comply with the legislation, the presence of technically unavoidable trace amounts resulting from impurities in natural or synthetic ingredients, manufacturing processes, storage, or primary packaging shall not constitute a violation.
Industry Impact and Outlook
The passage of the Illinois Chemicals in Cosmetic Products Act represents a substantive legislative shift in U.S. cosmetic safety oversight. With the law taking effect on July 1, 2028, beauty brands expanding into or operating within the U.S. market have a transition window of less than two years. Enterprises must initiate formula audits, source safe ingredient alternatives, and execute supply chain adjustments to ensure total compliance prior to the enforcement date.
