Cosmetic Bill Forces Full Ingredient Reveal: Fragrances and Flavors Must Be Listed Online and on Labels by 2027

This bill, officially called the Cosmetic Hazardous Ingredient Right to Know Act of 2025, is a major overhaul aimed at making sure consumers know exactly what they are putting on their bodies. In short, it mandates total transparency for cosmetic ingredients, especially those hidden under the umbrella terms “fragrance” and “flavor.”

The core of the law is simple: If a brand owner sells a cosmetic across state lines, they must disclose every single ingredient that makes up a product’s scent or taste—not just the generic term. This applies to everything from your daily moisturizer to the heavy-duty products used by your stylist. Failure to list these ingredients on the packaging or the brand’s website makes the product legally “misbranded” or illegal to sell.

The End of the 'Secret Sauce' Era

For years, the specific chemicals making up a product’s scent or flavor have been protected as trade secrets, often listed simply as “fragrance” or “parfum.” This bill changes that. Starting one year after enactment, brand owners must post a complete, searchable ingredient list for every product on their website (Section 615). This list must include every component of the fragrance or flavor, its functional purpose, and be available in an “electronically readable format”—meaning no CAPTCHAs, no registration walls, and no hunting through PDFs. If you’re allergic to a specific chemical often used in scents, you’ll finally be able to search the manufacturer’s site easily and get a clear answer.

Two years after the law passes, this ingredient mandate moves to the physical packaging (Section 616). Your shampoo bottle will need to list every single chemical in that “fresh ocean scent,” in descending order of how much is in the product. This is a game-changer for people dealing with sensitivities, allergies, or just wanting to avoid specific compounds. It means much higher compliance costs for manufacturers, who will need to overhaul their labeling and packaging systems.

Warning Labels for the Worst Offenders

Beyond just listing everything, the bill introduces a mandatory warning system for chemicals known to be hazardous. The Secretary (presumably the FDA) must create a “master list” of chemicals identified as carcinogens, reproductive toxicants, or persistent pollutants by various federal and state agencies (like California’s Prop 65 lists or the EU’s REACH regulation). This master list must be published and regularly updated.

If a cosmetic contains any chemical from this master list, the product label must carry a specific warning: “For health impacts related to any ingredients in this product, visit: www. [Brand Owner's Website URL]” (Section 616). Think of it like the new nutrition label for potential hazards. This forces brands to directly link consumers to the health implications of specific ingredients they chose to include. For the busy consumer, this instantly flags products that contain known problematic substances.

States Still Have the Final Say

One of the most important provisions for consumer advocates is that this federal law does not preempt stricter state laws. States like California, which often lead the way in ingredient safety, can continue to ban certain chemicals or require even more detailed reporting (SEC. 2). This means that if a state decides to prohibit an ingredient that the federal government hasn’t, that state’s law stands. This protects the ability of states to provide stronger consumer protection than the federal baseline.

For brand owners, this means compliance is complex; they have to meet the new federal baseline and any stricter state requirements where they sell their products. For consumers, it’s a win-win: a strong federal floor combined with the option for states to raise the ceiling on safety and transparency.