# EU Endocrine Disruptor Lists Explained: I, II and III > What the EU endocrine disruptor lists (I, II, III) are, who runs them, which cosmetic ingredients appear on them, and how ToxFree uses each tier. Canonical: https://gettoxfree.com/blog/eu-endocrine-disruptor-lists-explained · Published 2026-10-06 by Peyton Greenwood, founder of ToxFree If you’ve looked for trustworthy endocrine disruptor lists, you’ve probably landed on edlists.org. It’s one of the most specific public references for ingredients flagged as hormone disruptors, and it’s the backbone of how ToxFree’s hormone flags work. This is a plain-English guide to what it contains and how to read it. ## Who runs it The site is run by the Danish EPA on behalf of Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Spain. It’s updated at least twice a year, and the most recent update was April 2026. It isn’t a law, and it doesn’t ban anything by itself. It’s a shared reference that tracks where different substances stand in the EU’s evaluation process. Think of it as a status board. ## The three endocrine disruptor lists **List I: identified as endocrine disruptors at EU level.** This is the top tier. Cosmetics-relevant examples include butylparaben, isobutylparaben, the phthalates DBP, DEHP, BBP and DIBP, bisphenol A, B and S, triphenyl phosphate (TPHP), the UV filter 4-MBC and nonylphenol. **List II: under EU evaluation.** About 130 substances. Cosmetics-relevant examples include BHA, BHT, methylparaben, propylparaben, oxybenzone, benzophenone-1, D5 (cyclomethicone), resorcinol, triclosan and sodium fluoride, which was added in April 2026. **List III: a national authority concluded endocrine-disrupting properties.** There are 18 substances, including methylparaben, propylparaben, oxybenzone, BHA, D4, resorcinol, salicylic acid, triclocarban and benzophenone-2. The difference between the lists is about process, not about how much of the substance is in your product. ## What changed in the EU lists in April 2026? Three ingredients came off List II after EU safety reviews: benzyl salicylate, benzophenone-4 and butylparaben. Butylparaben stays on List I. In the same update, sodium fluoride was added to List II. That shows the lists aren’t static. They move as reviews conclude, so an ingredient’s status today may differ from last year’s. ## How ToxFree uses the lists We treat the tiers differently: - **List I is the top tier.** One List I ingredient in a leave-on product means Avoid. - **List III is strong concern.** A national authority has concluded the substance has endocrine-disrupting properties. - **List II is suspected or under review.** It’s a reason to look closer while the evaluation continues. The app’s hormone list also includes undisclosed “fragrance” or “parfum,” which is flagged as a precaution because a blend can hide ingredients you can’t see. A flag is a reason to look closer, not proof of harm. ## The methylparaben tension Methylparaben is the useful test case, because it sits on both List II and List III. That sounds alarming. Yet the EU’s safety committee (SCCS) considers methylparaben, along with ethylparaben, safe in cosmetics up to 0.4% each, or 0.8% total parabens. Both things are true, and they aren’t strictly contradictory: - The lists track whether a substance has been evaluated or identified as having endocrine-disrupting properties. - The safety committee judges whether a specific use, at a specific concentration, is safe. A substance can have a hormone-related property and still be considered safe at a low, capped dose. A list entry tells you about hazard, while a concentration limit speaks to risk in a given product. We flag methylparaben anyway, because we think you should be able to see it and decide. We just don’t pretend a flag settles the safety question. For the full paraben picture, see [Are parabens bad?](/blog/are-parabens-bad). ## Why we lean on this source A regulator-run list has advantages over a blog’s opinion or a brand’s marketing. It’s public, it names specific substances, and it shows its work by placing each one in a tier. You can open edlists.org yourself and check any ingredient we flag, which is exactly how we’d like you to use it. ## What the lists don’t tell you They don’t say how much of a substance is in your product, or how you use it. They don’t give a ban or a safe limit; those come from separate rules, such as the EU cap of 7.34% on homosalate, allowed only in face products, or the limits on oxybenzone. Use the lists to decide which labels deserve a second look, then use the limits and your own habits to decide how much it matters. ## Reading a list entry sensibly Some questions help put an entry in context: 1. **Which list is it on?** List I means identified at EU level. List II means still being evaluated. 2. **Is the product leave-on or rinse-off?** Leave-on products stay on skin longer. 3. **How much skin and how often?** A daily body lotion beats an occasional lip product. 4. **Has the EU restricted it?** Oxybenzone, for instance, is capped at 6% in face, hand and lip products and 2.2% in body products. In our scans of 133 products, 65 (49%) had at least one hormone flag, though most of those came from fragrance rather than a listed substance. See [We scanned 133 beauty products](/blog/we-scanned-133-beauty-products) for the breakdown. Those were best-sellers we chose to scan, not a random sample of the market. If you’re pregnant or managing a health condition, talk to your doctor about what applies to you. ## Sources - [EU endocrine disruptor lists (edlists.org)](https://edlists.org/) - [Commission Regulation (EU) 1004/2014 (propyl- and butylparaben)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2014/1004/oj) - ToxFree scans of 133 products, September 23 – October 5, 2026, re-scored October 6, 2026