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Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde

Lyral

AvoidFragrancefragrancemasking

Banned in EU cosmetics or credibly linked to serious harm.

Also written as: Lyral · HICC · Kovanol · 3- and 4-(4-Hydroxy-4-methylpentyl)cyclohex-3-ene-1-carbaldehyde

What it is

Lyral was a synthetic muguet fragrance material introduced in the 1960s and used very widely in fine fragrance and personal care. It became one of the most important causes of fragrance contact allergy in Europe, prominent enough to be included in the standard fragrance mix II patch-test panel. Unlike Lilial, its ban was driven purely by skin sensitisation rather than any reproductive or carcinogenic concern.

What it does well

  • No benefit remains relevant, as the substance is prohibited

    Its sole function was fragrance. It is documented here so consumers can recognise the name on legacy products or non-EU imports.

    Strong evidence

Worth knowing

  • One of the highest-rate individual fragrance allergens ever recorded in Europe

    In the ESSCA network 2009 to 2012, 1.7% of all patch-tested dermatitis patients reacted to Lyral. Across more than 114,000 patients tested from 2009 to 2018 the figure was 1.62%, with prevalence falling measurably every year as the ban approached.

    Matters most toAnyone with a fragrance allergy diagnosed before about 2020.

  • Allergy to it persists after the ban

    People sensitised while it was in use remain allergic. Because it cross-reacts poorly with other materials, they may still be reacting to related muguet chemicals in current products without an obvious label clue.

    Matters most toPeople with a historical positive patch test to Lyral or fragrance mix II.

Where the EU stands

Banned in EU cosmetics

Prohibited in EU cosmetic products. Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1410 added HICC to Annex II as entry 1380, alongside atranol (entry 1381) and chloroatranol (entry 1382) from oakmoss and treemoss. Products containing it could not be placed on the EU market from 23 August 2019 and could not be made available on the market from 23 August 2021. It was removed from Annex III, where it had been entry 79.

Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annex II entry 1380, as inserted by Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1410 · source ↗

Sources (2)

Every link goes to the original: a journal, a PubMed record or an EU document.

  1. [1]
    Decrease of contact allergy to hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde in Europe prior to its ban and diagnostic value

    Contact Dermatitis · 2021 · doi:10.1111/cod.13786

    Across more than 114,000 European patients tested between 2009 and 2018, 1.62% reacted to Lyral, with a statistically significant annual decline as industry phased it out ahead of the ban.

  2. [2]
    Patch test results with fragrance markers of the baseline series - analysis of the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies (ESSCA) network 2009-2012

    Contact Dermatitis (ESSCA network) · 2015 · doi:10.1111/cod.12420

    Reported a 1.7% positive rate to Lyral among European dermatitis patients, ranking it alongside the fragrance mixes as a leading single-substance fragrance allergen.