The EU has not imposed one immediate ban on every cosmetic containing any polymer. Its restriction targets defined synthetic polymer microparticles, with exclusions, derogations and different application dates for product categories.[1] Abrasive microbeads and other particles in cosmetics need to be distinguished before a timetable can be interpreted.[1]

This explainer uses REACH Annex XVII entry 78 in the consolidated text dated 22 June 2026, checked on 12 October 2026.[1] The European Commission's timetable and implementation explanation help interpret it, but the legal text takes priority.[1][2][3] These are EU rules, not a statement of UAE law or personalised compliance advice.

A polymer name is not enough to identify a restricted particle

The definition concerns solid polymers contained in particles or forming a continuous coating on them, subject to specified weight and dimension criteria.[1] It includes particles up to five millimetres in all dimensions and certain elongated particles up to 15 millimetres long.[1] The placing-on-the-market restriction addresses microparticles on their own or intentionally present in mixtures to confer a sought-after characteristic, at a concentration of at least 0.01% by weight.[1]

Those details prevent a useful consumer rule from becoming "every ingredient with a chemical-sounding name is banned". A list of ingredients alone may not tell you the physical form, concentration or whether an exclusion applies. Ask the manufacturer about the actual material and product, rather than declaring it illegal from a keyword search.

The definition excludes unmodified naturally occurring polymers, polymers meeting the specified degradability tests, polymers meeting the specified solubility criterion and polymers without carbon atoms in their chemical structure.[1] A marketing claim such as "biodegradable" is not a substitute for the regulation's test requirements.[1]

There are also derogations, including particles contained by technical means, permanently losing the relevant particle properties during intended use, or permanently incorporated in a solid matrix.[1] A derogation can come with information or reporting requirements; it does not mean that the subject has disappeared from regulation.[1]

The cosmetics timetable

The restriction began applying on 17 October 2023, but paragraph 6 provides transitions for specified uses.[1][3] "Microbeads" here means synthetic polymer microparticles used as an abrasive to exfoliate, polish or clean, not every small particle in a cosmetic.[1]

For rinse-off cosmetics, the relevant transition runs to 17 October 2027, excluding fragrance encapsulation and abrasive microbeads from that category's transition.[1] For the relevant leave-on category, the date is 17 October 2029, again subject to the category distinctions in paragraph 6.[1] Lip, nail and make-up products have a date of 17 October 2035 unless another specified category or the microbead exclusion applies.[1]

Fragrance encapsulation has its own 17 October 2029 date.[1] It should not automatically be assigned the date for every other ingredient in the finished cosmetic. The Commission's summary table is useful for orientation, but its categories need to be read alongside these exceptions.[1][2]

For the lip, nail and make-up products covered by paragraph 6(c), paragraph 9 requires a statement that the product contains microplastics from 17 October 2031 until 16 October 2035.[1] There is a short separate labelling transition for products placed on the market before 17 October 2031.[1] This is a future labelling requirement, not evidence that the same wording must appear on every cosmetic sold today.

The practical conclusion in October 2026 is that some defined uses are already restricted, while several named cosmetic categories still have transitions.[1] Neither "everything was banned in 2023" nor "nothing applies until 2035" is an accurate summary.[1]

Why glitter headlines can be misleading

Glitter is a particularly visible example of the category problem. The Commission explains that only certain compositions and uses are affected, and distinguishes loose plastic glitter from glitter affixed to an article or trapped in a solid matrix.[3] Cosmetics containing glitter can fall within the cosmetics transitions rather than the rule for loose arts-and-crafts glitter.[3]

The Commission also explains that relevant products already placed on the market before 17 October 2023 can continue to be sold under the stock provision, where applicable.[3] That is not a permanent exemption for newly imported products. The date and circumstances of placing a product on the market matter.[1][3]

The Commission explicitly says its online explanation is not legally binding and that operators remain responsible for compliance.[3] We therefore use it to clarify examples, not to issue a product-by-product legal verdict.

What shoppers and small sellers should check

Our suggested checklist begins with the product's intended use: rinse-off, leave-on, make-up, lip or nail product, or another category. Then ask whether the material is a defined solid microparticle, whether it is intentionally added for a characteristic, and whether the relevant concentration and exclusions apply.[1]

For a seller, request documented supplier classification and the basis for any exclusion or derogation. Record the applicable paragraph and date instead of keeping only a headline saying "EU ban". A borderline product needs the appropriate REACH helpdesk or qualified compliance advice; this article cannot establish its classification from a photograph.

For a shopper, a voluntary preference to avoid intentionally added plastic particles is a purchasing choice. The regulatory restriction aims to reduce environmental releases; its existence does not establish a clinical risk percentage from using your particular moisturiser.[1][3] Do not turn the timetable into medical advice.

If you are comparing environmental labels, our tea-bag guide shows why appearance does not establish material identity. For the separate limits of personal particle testing, read the human diagnostics guide.

Read the category, the definition and the date together. That is more useful than assuming either that every cosmetic is already banned or that an ingredient list proves a product is exempt.[1]

Sources

  1. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=CELEX:02006R1907-20260622&qid=1791812315079
  2. https://trade.ec.europa.eu/access-to-markets/en/news/restriction-microplastics-eu-17-october-2023
  3. https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/chemicals/reach/restrictions/commission-regulation-eu-20232055-restriction-microplastics-intentionally-added-products_en