Cosmetics · skincare · personal care

The beauty scanner that actually checks EU-banned cosmetic ingredients

The EU bans 1,300+ cosmetic ingredients. The FDA bans 11. Scan any beauty barcode or photograph any INCI label to instantly see which restricted ingredients are in your routine.

Scan a beauty product Browse clean brands

1,300+ EU-restricted ingredientsNo brand pays for placementPregnancy mode included

When the EU updates its cosmetic ingredient ban list — Annex II of the EU Cosmetics Regulation — the change applies across 27 countries within months. When the FDA does the same, it can take a decade. The result: shampoos, sunscreens, and skincare sold in the US routinely contain ingredients that would be illegal to sell in Paris or Berlin.

Our beauty scanner pulls from the official EU CosIng database, Health Canada\'s Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist, and the California Cosmetic Fragrance and Flavor Ingredient Right to Know Act. Scan your barcode or photograph the INCI list — we will tell you exactly which ingredients have been restricted overseas.

INCI photo-label scanner

Beauty products often have no scannable barcode. Photograph the ingredient list and we read it with OCR — Pro feature.

Pregnancy mode for endocrine disruptors

Toggle on for higher sensitivity to parabens, phthalates, and other ingredients flagged in endocrine literature.

Cosmetic-specific scoring

A beauty Safe / Caution / Avoid score is different from a food score. We use EU CosIng, Health Canada, and California Prop 65 — not food regulators.

Clean brand directory

Browse curated cosmetic brands that pass our full beauty ingredient screen.

Common EU-restricted beauty ingredients we flag

Propyl Paraben

Found in: Shampoo, lotion, sunscreen

Restricted in:

Banned EU food, restricted cosmetics

Butylparaben

Found in: Lotion, cleanser, lip balm

Restricted in:

Restricted EU cosmetics

Formaldehyde + releasers (DMDM hydantoin)

Found in: Shampoo, body wash, keratin treatments

Restricted in:

Banned EU, banned California 2025

Phthalates (DEP, DBP, DEHP)

Found in: Fragrance, nail polish, hair spray

Restricted in:

Banned EU cosmetics

Triclosan

Found in: Antibacterial soap, toothpaste

Restricted in:

Banned EU consumer products

Coal-Tar Dyes (CI 73000 series)

Found in: Hair dye, eyeshadow, lipstick

Restricted in:

Banned EU

Frequently asked questions

How many cosmetic ingredients does the EU ban that the US allows?

The EU prohibits over 1,300 ingredients in cosmetics. The FDA prohibits or restricts only 11. That difference is the entire reason a beauty scanner like this exists.

Which beauty ingredients are most commonly flagged?

Most-scanned flags include propyl paraben, butyl paraben, formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (DMDM hydantoin, quaternium-15), phthalates (DEP, DBP, DEHP), triclosan, BHA, coal-tar derivatives, and certain fragrance allergens.

What about "clean" or "natural" brands?

Many brands marketed as clean still contain EU-restricted ingredients. We scan the actual INCI list — we do not trust marketing copy.

Does this work during pregnancy?

Yes. Turn on pregnancy mode and we raise sensitivity on endocrine-disrupting ingredients like parabens and phthalates.

How is this different from EWG's Skin Deep?

Skin Deep scores ingredients on a hazard scale that includes a lot of editorial interpretation. BannedPantry only flags ingredients that an actual regulator (EU CosIng, Health Canada, FDA, California Prop 65) has restricted. No interpretation. No hazard guessing.

Your face does not need to be a chemistry experiment.

Scan one product from your bathroom shelf and find out what is actually in it. Free.

Scan free now Browse clean beauty brands

Our scores are never influenced by brands. Data sourced from EFSA, FDA, Health Canada, and peer-reviewed research. Educational use only — consult your doctor for medical decisions.