Know the risks with peroxide when selling teeth whitening and oral health products
This page provides information for anyone selling teeth whitening or oral health products containing hydrogen peroxide in Ireland.
What are the risks of hydrogen peroxide in teeth whitening and oral health products?
A common side effect of teeth whitening/bleaching is sensitivity. Hydrogen peroxide may cause some inflammation and pain.
For safety reasons, there are restrictions in place for the concentration of hydrogen peroxide allowed in cosmetics such as teeth whiteners. Restrictions by the European Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009 are listed in the table below:
Concentration of Hydrogen Peroxide (present or released) | Restriction |
| 0.1% or below | The product can be sold as a cosmetic without specific restrictions. |
| Higher than 0.1% up to 6% | The product can only be sold to dental practitioners (dentists). There are other legal restrictions in relation to these products, including that the product must also be applied under the supervision of a dental practitioner. |
| Higher than 6% | The product is not compliant with the EU Cosmetic Regulations; it is prohibited from use and considered an illegal cosmetic product. |
There are other mixtures that release hydrogen peroxide in tooth whitening or bleaching products. These include:
- Carbamide peroxide
- Zinc peroxide
- Calcium peroxide
- Magnesium peroxide
- Sodium carbonate peroxide
- Urea peroxide.
For more information on this, please see entry 12 of Annex III of Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009.
Look out for the right product labelling on cosmetic products such as teeth whiteners
All cosmetic products, including oral health and teeth whitening products, must include an EU or EEA name and address as the Responsible Person for the product.
Products without an EU/EEA name and address should not be used or supplied, as they may not meet the EU safety requirements.
Prohibited mixtures for cosmetics
Sodium perborate and other perborate and perboric acids are prohibited from use in cosmetic products. For more detailed information, see entries 1397, 1398, 1399 of Annex II of Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009.
Do you have a query about a tooth whitening product?
If you have any queries about teeth whitening products, please contact us using our online form choosing 'Cosmetics' for your query.