NEW TPO RULE IN FORCE FROM 1ST SEPTEMBER IN SWITZERLAND
Swiss Confederation
Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA)
Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO)
Bern, July 18, 2025
Subject: Ban on Trimethylbenzoyl Diphenylphosphine Oxide (TPO) in cosmetics effective September 1, 2025
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
Following numerous inquiries regarding the ban on the substance Trimethylbenzoyl Diphenylphosphine Oxide (TPO) (CAS No. 75980-60-8) in cosmetics, we hereby inform you of the following:
TPO has been included in Annex II (List of Prohibited Substances) of Regulation (EU) 2025/877, which amends Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009. This ban, effective September 1, 2025, follows the classification of TPO as a CMR (Carcinogenic, Mutagenic, or Toxic for Reproduction) substance of category 1B, due to its reproductive toxicity, according to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/197 on chemicals.
According to Article 54 of the Ordinance on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles (LGV, RS 817.02), Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009, in its binding version for the EU, also applies to Switzerland. Therefore, the amendment introduced by Regulation (EU) 2025/877 also applies to Switzerland.
With the entry into force of Regulation (EU) 2025/877 on September 1, 2025, cosmetics containing TPO may no longer be placed on the market.
According to Article 2, paragraph 1, letter g of Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009, "placing on the market" means:
"any supply of a cosmetic product for distribution, consumption, or use on the Community market in the course of a commercial activity, whether in return for payment or free of charge."
The professional use of cosmetics containing TPO in studios or salons (nail salons, hairdressers, beauty salons, etc.) is also prohibited starting September 1, 2025.
There is no transition period for stock clearance.
Therefore, even products purchased before September 1, 2025, may no longer be used after the entry into force of Regulation (EU) 2025/877.
We recommend that all professionals verify the composition of the products they use.
An overview of the changes regarding CMR substances, with links to the regulations, is available on our website:
➡️ Regulated substances in cosmetics (blv.admin.ch)
Best regards,
Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO)
Dr. Michael Beer
Deputy Director
Note that we will not offer buy-back options for TPO-containing products.
What happens to gels that currently contain TPO?
- Since the regulation was published, we have begun reformulating the affected products. We have been working on this project in the background for nearly a year and a half.
- The last new products containing TPO were launched in June 2024. All new products released in fall, winter, and spring 2025 across all our brands have been TPO-free.
- Since the end of 2024, the reformulated versions of previously launched products (up to summer 2024) have been gradually introduced to the market.
- The reformulated products receive new barcodes, and for bottled products, a "THF" label is printed on the back of bottles and jars indicating that the product is both HEMA- and TPO- free (note: this doesn’t apply to products that were already free of these ingredients).
- Our main goal is to eliminate both TPO and HEMA from all reformulated products, with a few exceptions that will only be TPO-free for the time being (these will be marked with the abbreviation TF).
- For bottled and jarred products, the "HEMA FREE" badge on the front also serves as a helpful indicator, as those products are likely also free of TPO. However, the "THF" label remains the most reliable indicator.
- Our aim is to reformulate all existing materials, though we cannot guarantee that every product will remain available after September—some may be discontinued or temporarily - out of stock.
- We have done our best to ensure that the reformulated products match or exceed the quality of the originals.