EU Homosalate Limit Hits Full Force July 2025: From 10% to 7.34%
If you buy European sunscreen, the formula you loved may have quietly changed in 2025 — here's what the lower homosalate cap means for your label.
Under Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/2195, from 1 January 2025 homosalate may be used only in face products (excluding sprays) at a maximum of 7.34%, with non-compliant products withdrawn from the EU market by 1 July 2025 — down from the long-standing 10% limit, over endocrine-disruption concerns.
Cosmetics regulatory advisors note that the homosalate cut reflects the EU's case-by-case re-evaluation of older filters, and that brands typically rebalance a formula's filter blend rather than simply removing the ingredient.
Questions we get a lot
Why did the EU cut homosalate from 10% to 7.34%?
The reduction, set by Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/2195, followed endocrine-disruption concerns raised during the EU's safety re-evaluation of the filter. Regulators recalculated a maximum concentration consistent with an acceptable margin of safety. The new cap of 7.34% applies to face products only and excludes sprays.
Were old EU sunscreens with 10% homosalate pulled from shelves?
Yes. Under the transition built into the regulation, products that did not meet the new 7.34% face-only limit had to be withdrawn from the EU market by 1 July 2025. Stock placed on the market before earlier deadlines had a wind-down period, but compliant reformulations are what remain on European shelves now.
Does the lower homosalate limit reduce a sunscreen's SPF?
Not necessarily. Homosalate is one of several UVB filters a formulator can use, so brands typically rebalance the overall filter blend to maintain the rated SPF rather than letting protection drop. The label still has to meet its stated SPF through standardized testing. The change is more about which filters appear and at what levels than about weaker products.
r/SkincareAddiction: "My favorite European sunscreen smells and feels different this year — did the homosalate rule change the formula?"