Journal · by topic
EU rules for face masks
Everything on sale here answers to Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 and its annexes, which decide what may go in a mask, at what strength, and what has to be named on the back. These pieces read the law itself rather than a summary of it.
3 pieces · 25 min in total · 14 sources cited
- 117of 215 masks print one word for it
9 min read
What “Parfum” is hiding, and what changed on 31 July 2026
One word on a label can stand for dozens of substances. 117 of our 215 masks print it. Since 31 July 2026 the EU requires far more of what is inside it to be named individually, and on these labels, 10 of the 21 named allergens are ones that only recently had to be there at all.
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- 0 of 10notorious preservatives found on these labels
8 min read
Preservatives: the most feared line on the label
A water-based mask that is not preserved is a microbiology experiment you hold against your face. 103 of our 215 masks name a preservative the EU licenses for the job; most of the rest are preserved too, by ingredients that are legally something else.
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- 18 May2026, the day the new limits came into force
8 min read
The new EU limits, and what they change for a face mask
A Commission Regulation in force since 18 May 2026 puts concentration limits on three things face masks contain, 28 of the 215 here among them. The limits are written per product type, so one ingredient can carry two very different ceilings - and which one applies to your mask depends on whether you rinse it off. Nothing in a bathroom cabinet needs throwing away.
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