DMDM Hydantoin

Keeps the formula fresh.

In the Formaldehyde releasers group

What it is

A preservative made in a lab. It is one of the formaldehyde releasers, a group of preservatives that release small amounts of formaldehyde in the product.

A preservative that helps keep the product free from microbial growth.

A short summary from the dictionary, not yet an in-depth article. About these entries

What it does in a formula

Keeps the formula freshOfficial EU function: Preservative

Why some people watch for it

Formaldehyde releasers

Some people avoid these preservatives, especially people who know they react to formaldehyde. Since Regulation (EU) 2022/1181 the EU requires products that release more than 10 ppm of formaldehyde to say so on the label.

A group is a fact about the ingredient, not a judgement of it.

What official sources say

Restricted in certain uses · Cosmetics, EU

Allowed as a preservative in EU cosmetics up to 0.6% (Annex V).

Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annex V: list of preservatives allowed in cosmetic products, retrieved 2026-10-09

A label gives no amounts, so none of this says a product is unsafe.