Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector Does Not Contain Lilial

Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector, an at-home bond repairing treatment, does not contain Lilial. Butylphenyl Methylpropional, more commonly known as Lilial, adds a floral scent to beauty products.

Earlier this week, social media was abuzz when users started posting that Olaplex was allegedly set to become banned in the UK and EU due to concerns about an ingredient in it potentially being “reprotoxic,” meaning it could possibly have adverse effects on fertility. One TikTok video on the subject racked up more than 700,000 views in two days.

On Sunday, TikToker Hasini Kay went viral for a video captioned: “When you find out Olaplex is going to be banned in the EU + UK next month.” 

“There are reports that Olaplex is being banned in the EU and the UK and that's because of this ingredient, which has been linked to infertility,” said Hasini, pointing to lilial on a green screen, “and it's in Olaplex No.3. Some sources say it's already been reformulated, but if not, they're likely to reformulate before the ban comes into effect.”

In the comments section, Hasini pinpoints Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council as her source.

From March 1 2022, cosmetic products containing Lilial are to be pulled from EU markets. Classified as a “reprotoxic” substance in EU legislation, the ingredient can cause infertility and have harmful effects on fetuses. Many expect a ban in Great Britain to follow.

The uproar was enough for Olaplex to issue the following statement:

[Lilial] is not an active or functional ingredient. While this phase out is limited to the EU, out of an abundance of caution, Olaplex proactively removed lilial from our No.3 Hair Perfector globally,” the account posted. “Since January 2022, Olaplex no longer sold products using Lilial in the UK or EU.”

This isn't the first headache for Olaplex. Last year, the company said it would appeal a court decision that vacated a judgement that the company had won in 2019 against L'Oréal.