Build my profileBuild my profile

Cosmetic ingredient dictionary

Resorcinol in cosmetics: what it is and what it does

Resorcinol is a cosmetic ingredient that colours hair. The EU allows it only with limits or conditions. Open Beauty Facts finds it in 119 products, most often hair dyes.

By Bravoora teamUpdated Sources checked 3 sourcesHow we check

What does Resorcinol do in a product?

In a cosmetic product, Resorcinol colours hair and hides an unwanted smell or taste. The EU’s CosIng database lists these jobs for it: hair dyeing and masking.

hair dyeingmasking

What other names and numbers does Resorcinol have?

CAS number
108-46-3
EC number
203-585-2
CosIng reference
79461

Is Resorcinol restricted in the EU?

Yes, it has limits. The EU allows it only with limits or conditions of use, such as a maximum amount or a warning on the label (Annex III of Regulation 1223/2009, entry 22).

The annex entry sets the exact limits, the products it may be used in and any warning the label must carry.

Which products contain Resorcinol?

Open Beauty Facts finds Resorcinol in the ingredient lists of 119 of the 22,021 products it has a list for, most often hair dyes and hair care.

  • Hair dyes22
  • Hair care18

Products with it, by country of sale: Norway 54 · Australia 24 · France 18 · Turkey 8.

Counted on 13 October 2026 from Open Beauty Facts, which volunteers fill from real packs: it shows where Resorcinol turns up, not how much of the market it is.

On these listsColorantsRestricted in the EU

Bravoora reads this ingredient for everyone you shop for: an allergy or intolerance, a vegan or vegetarian diet, a calorie or protein goal, and the labels on supplements and skincare too. Build a profile · For dermatologists, dietitians and doctors

Sources

The job, the description and the EU annex entry are CosIng’s; the fragrance allergens are the EU Annex III names Bravoora’s label checker reads; the product counts are Open Beauty Facts’.

  1. European Commission: CosIng cosmetic ingredient database (functions, description, EU annex entry)
  2. Open Beauty Facts: product database, 77,506 products, read 13 October 2026, ODbL
  3. EU Regulation 1223/2009 on cosmetic products (the annexes)

Contains information from Open Beauty Facts, which is made available here under the Open Database License (ODbL). Read the licence · Download this dictionary’s data · How we check

Create a website profile with the things you avoid and the people you check for.

Build my profile

Save and edit your profile on this website. App transfer is not available yet.