Retinol, a derivative of vitamin A, is one of the most well-studied ingredients in skincare, but new EU regulations seem to have dulled the shine of this “gold standard” anti-aging ingredient. Published on April 4, 2024, the European Commission's Regulation (EU) 2024/996 enforces stricter controls on the use of vitamin A, alpha-arbutin, and arbutin, along with five substances it identifies as endocrine disruptors: genistein, daidzein, kojic acid, triclocarban, and triclosan. It also bans the UV filter 4-methylbenzylidene camphor. The restrictions on retinol require a maximum concentration of 0.3% in face products and 0.05% in body lotions. These new rules and restrictions will begin to take effect as early as December 31, 2024.While the EU stopped short of an outright ban on retinol, the new regulations significantly reduce its potency. Currently, the highest available concentration is 1%, which means that many brands will have to completely overhaul their formulations to comply with Regulation (EU) 2024/996.What spurred the revised retinol rules, and how will these new laws impact the global beauty industry? BeautyMatter spoke with legal and policy experts to understand how these regulations came to be and what beauty brands should be doing ahead of Regulation (EU) 2024/996’s first deadline at the end of this year.Retinol’s Rocky Path to RegulationWhile this new ruling may seem like it came out of left field, it’s actually been more than a decade in the making. In 2012, the German authorities requested the EU Commission to review the safety of vitamin A as a cosmetic ingredient.