Businesses supplying consumer products into the EU face new compliance obligations as restrictions on PFHxA, its salts and PFHxA-related substances began applying Oct. 10, 2026.
The restrictions stem from Regulation (EU) 2024/2462, which added a new entry to Annex XVII of REACH. From Oct. 10, 2026, cosmetics and covered products may not be placed on the market if they contain 25 parts per billion or more of PFHxA and its salts combined, or 1,000 ppb or more of PFHxA-related substances.
The measures cover textiles, leather, furs and hides used in clothing and related accessories, footwear for the general public, paper and cardboard used as food contact materials, and cosmetic products and certain mixtures.
The restriction does not apply to products placed on the EU market before Oct. 10, 2026. A further stage from Oct. 10, 2027 extends the same concentration limits to all other textiles, leather, furs and hides.
Exclusions include certain personal protective equipment, construction textiles and some industrial applications such as semiconductors, batteries and fuel cells. A separate REACH entry restricts PFAS in firefighting foams, with operational obligations beginning Oct. 23, 2026.
