4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor
Decode Label flags 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor as a moderate concern in cosmetics and personal care (endocrine disruptor). It was not found in any of the 893 published products we have analysed.
The concern
UV filter — banned in the EU (2025) over thyroid/oestrogenic activity; not permitted in the US
4-MBC is a chemical UV filter with documented oestrogenic and thyroid-hormone activity in animal studies. The EU SCCS could not establish a concentration at which it is safe, so the EU moved it from the permitted UV-filter list to the prohibited-substances list; products containing it could no longer be placed on the EU market from 1 May 2025. It was never approved for use in the United States. Note it is a UV filter, not a cooling agent, despite the "camphor" in its name.
Most relevant to
Cited authority
Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/996 (Annex II prohibition); Schlumpf et al., Environ. Health Perspect. 2001
Linked sources: EU-CosIng → EU →
Not found in this catalogue
0 of 893 published products Decode Label has analysed list 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor or any of its label synonyms. That describes this catalogue, not the Indian market as a whole. If a product we score lists it, it will appear here and its score will reflect it.
Regulatory position
From the published regulation itself. Each row links to its source.
| Authority | Status | Reference | Scope / limit | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU-CosIng | Prohibited | Annex II 1730 | — | View → |
Hazard classification
Full EU ban, not a concentration restriction. Products containing it could not be placed on the market from 1 May 2025, with final removal from sale by May 2026.
Identity
- Canonical name
- 3-(4'-methylbenzylidene)-camphor; [INCI: 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor]
- CAS number
- 36861-47-9
- EC number
- 253-242-6
Also appears on labels as
Questions
Is 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor safe?
The EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 prohibits 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor in cosmetics (Annex II, entry 1730). Why it is flagged: UV filter — banned in the EU (2025) over thyroid/oestrogenic activity; not permitted in the US. Decode Label treats it as a moderate concern in cosmetics and personal care. It was not found in any of the 893 published products we have analysed.
How common is 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor in Indian packaged products?
Decode Label has not found 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor in any of the 893 published products analysed so far. That describes this catalogue, not the Indian market as a whole.
Which authorities have classified 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor?
EU — Commission Reg. (EU) 2024/996 — moved from permitted (Annex VI) to PROHIBITED (Annex II).
Is 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor restricted or banned anywhere?
Under the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (CosIng), 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor has 1 prohibited entry. Each is shown with its annex reference and a link to the source in the Regulatory position table.
Who should be most careful with 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor?
People who are pregnant; Children; Anyone using this regularly.
Related ingredients
Other entries in the register with the same kind of concern.
Method and limits
- Prevalence counts published products whose decoded ingredient list matches this substance or one of its label synonyms, using the same matching the score itself uses. It describes our catalogue of 893 products, not the Indian market as a whole.
- Presence is not dose. An ingredient list gives order, not quantity, unless the pack declares a percentage. Nothing here estimates how much of this substance any product contains.
- A classification is not a verdict on a product. An agency classifies a substance under defined conditions of exposure; whether that matters in a given food or cosmetic depends on route, concentration and use.
- Last updated. This register entry was last changed on 28 September 2026.
- Corrections. Every figure here is reproducible from the sources named. If something is wrong, tell us and we will correct it and say what changed.