As the cosmetics industry struggles to adapt to the European Union’s crackdown on the use of the vitamin A derivative retinol in cosmetics, one beauty industry insider is quietly confident that it can thrive despite the changes.
For those who don’t know, the EU has limited the maximum concentration of retinol used in skin care to 0.3% in facial products and 0.05% in body lotions to address the possibility of consumers consuming too much Vitamin A.
From 1 November 2025, no new retinol products will be able to enter the EU market unless they comply with these rules (the UK is expected to follow suit), and all remaining non-compliant products will be removed from store shelves from 1 May 2027.
As a result, brands with products that do not meet these requirements are forced to reformulate their existing high-concentration products, a costly endeavor, while some are considering adopting entirely new approaches to their portfolios, such as selling by prescription only.
This marks a significant change to the industry’s use of what is commonly known as the “gold standard” ingredient for skin rejuvenation, yet some brands in the sector have been surprisingly unfazed by the EU’s tightening of retinol concentrations.
The EU is very scientific when it comes to regulating ingredients and it’s all toxicology based.
exception
Vitamin A-focused company Medik8 is one of them, which sees potential for even stronger growth in its premium skin care business as consumers seek effective alternatives to the high-concentration retinol products they’ve come to rely on.
Over the last six years, the brand has invested heavily in using a retinol alternative called retinal (short for retinaldehyde) (part of a group of vitamin A derivatives called retinoids) in its flagship product, Crystal Retinal.
This is a smart move on the part of the company, as the ingredient is not subject to EU crackdowns.
This means that Medic8’s five-stage retinaldehyde-containing serum line – Crystal Retinal 1, 3, 6, 10 and 20 (with concentrations ranging from 0.01% to 0.2%) and the complementary Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye Cream (three products with graduated concentrations) – are unaffected.
“We are an E.U.
still Subscriber?
This is an excerpt from the full article, where available. only For Premium Content Subscribers. Click below to get premium content about the cosmetics business:
Subscribe now
Already a subscriber? Sign in here.
