Know Before the Inspector Does
The ECHA SVHC Candidate List is the regulatory tripwire for every studio in the EU. Search it now, or get a 2-weekly email when a new substance affects the materials you actually use. No fees. No login.
- n-hexane · CAS 110-54-3 — Reproductive toxicity (Repr. 2) / specific target organ toxicity
- 4,4′-[2,2,2-trifluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl)ethylidene]diphenol and its salts — Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT); endocrine disrupting properties
Look Up a Substance on ECHA
Enter any substance you use — pigment, polymer, biocide, solvent, metal alloy. The search button opens the ECHA Candidate List directly with your query. ECHA is the authoritative source and updates in real time.
How It Works
Type a substance name, CAS number, or EC number. We open the ECHA Candidate List search for that query — the legally authoritative source, in real time. No login.
Tell us what you actually use — jewellery metals and polymers, ink pigments, surface disinfectants and instrument cleaners, gauze and wipes, anaesthetic and aftercare creams, lubricants. SVHC applies to every chemical in the studio, not just the jewellery. Free text accepted.
ECHA updates the SVHC list twice a year. We check every 14 days and email you within 24 hours of any change that affects your materials — or a clean "nothing changed" record for your compliance file.
Get Free SVHC Alerts
One email every 2 weeks, only when something actually changes for the materials you use — plus an "all clear" record you can drop into your compliance file. Unsubscribe in one click.
Why a Free Tool?
Body art studios are the last people the chemicals industry warns when a new SVHC lands. Inspectors arrive with a list that was updated six months ago and is now three updates out of date — and the studio is the one holding the paperwork.
REACH Monitor was built by Patrick Poli, the inventor of BioFlex®, who has been certifying body-jewelry materials under EU regulation for over 25 years. The same SVHC monitoring system that keeps the BioFlex® compliance file current runs this page — extended so any studio can use it for any material.
It is free because compliance shouldn't depend on the budget of the studio.
New to REACH? Read the full studio reference: REACH Compliance for Body Art Studios →
SVHCs by Material Family
The substances most likely to land on the ECHA Candidate List in body-art supply chains, grouped by where they typically appear. Examples are illustrative — always confirm with your supplier's SDS for the specific batch.
Body-jewelry stainless steels and surgical-grade alloys are dominated by REACH Annex XVII restrictions rather than the Candidate List itself, but the Candidate List is where future restrictions begin.
- Nickel and its compounds · CAS 7440-02-0Restricted under REACH Annex XVII Entry 27 (skin-contact release limits). Several nickel compounds are also on the Candidate List as CMR.
- Lead · CAS 7439-92-1On the Candidate List (reprotoxic). Restricted in jewelry under Annex XVII Entry 63.
- Cadmium · CAS 7440-43-9Candidate List (carcinogen). Restricted in jewelry, plastics, and brazing alloys under Annex XVII Entry 23.
Polymer jewelry, sterilisation pouches, and disposables are the fastest-moving category for the SVHC list — phthalate plasticisers and brominated flame retardants drive most additions.
- DEHP, DBP, BBP, DIBP (phthalate plasticisers) · CAS 117-81-7, 84-74-2, 85-68-7, 84-69-5On the Candidate List since 2008 (reprotoxic, endocrine disruptors). Also Annex XIV (Authorisation required).
- Bisphenol A (BPA) · CAS 80-05-7Candidate List (endocrine disruptor). Common in epoxy linings and some polycarbonate disposables.
- 4,4′-Methylenedianiline (MDA) · CAS 101-77-9Candidate List (carcinogen). Used in some polyurethane systems — confirm absence with supplier.
Tattoo and permanent-makeup pigments are governed by REACH Annex XVII Entry 75 (EU Regulation 2020/2081) as well as the Candidate List. Aromatic amines and certain azo pigments are the recurring red flags.
- o-Toluidine and aromatic amines from azo cleavage · CAS 95-53-4Candidate List (carcinogens). Several azo pigments release these on reductive cleavage.
- Lead chromate pigments · CAS 7758-97-6Candidate List + Annex XIV. Should not appear in modern tattoo inks; verify by SDS.
- Pigment Blue 15 (under review) · CAS 147-14-8Listed in Annex XVII Entry 75 (concentration limits in tattoo inks).
Surface disinfectants, instrument cleaners, and autoclave chemistry are governed primarily by the EU Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR), but SVHC additions still apply when a biocide ingredient or carrier becomes a Candidate List substance.
- Glutaraldehyde · CAS 111-30-8Respiratory sensitiser, harmonised CLP classification. Common in cold-sterilant solutions — increasingly phased out for peracetic acid alternatives.
- Formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers · CAS 50-00-0Candidate List (carcinogen). Present as a preservative in some surface disinfectants and as a degradation product of certain quaternary ammonium formulations.
- 2-Butoxyethanol (EGBE) and other glycol ethers · CAS 111-76-2Carrier solvents in some hard-surface cleaners. Multiple glycol ethers carry Candidate List status as reprotoxic.
Sterile dressings, alcohol wipes, plaster adhesives, and packaging often contain plasticisers, residual solvents, or adhesive monomers that have appeared on the Candidate List.
- DEHP and replacement phthalates in PVC packaging · CAS 117-81-7PVC sterile-pack films and medical tubing can carry residual phthalate plasticisers. Confirm DEHP-free status on every pouch batch.
- Bisphenol A in adhesive cure systems · CAS 80-05-7Some acrylic and epoxy adhesives used in dressings and tapes use BPA derivatives. Candidate List as endocrine disruptor.
- Residual acrylate monomers (e.g. EHA, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate) · CAS 103-11-7Skin sensitiser. Always check leave-on adhesive products against the supplier SDS Section 3.
Anaesthetic creams (lidocaine carriers), aftercare ointments, and lubricants are regulated as cosmetics or medicinal products, but several legacy ingredients still appear on the SVHC Candidate List.
- Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) / Methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI) · CAS 2682-20-4 / 26172-55-4Cosmetic biocides under active SCCS review. Common sensitisers — check leave-on products.
- Some parabens (propylparaben, butylparaben) · CAS 94-13-3, 94-26-8Endocrine disruption concerns. Concentration limits apply in EU Cosmetics Regulation.
- Lilial (Butylphenyl methylpropional) · CAS 80-54-6Candidate List (reprotoxic). Banned in cosmetics from March 2022 — should not appear in any new aftercare product.
REACH & SVHC Glossary
Plain-language definitions of the terms a body-art studio needs to read an SDS, a supplier declaration, or an inspector's checklist.
- SVHC
- Substance of Very High Concern. A substance identified under REACH as carcinogenic, mutagenic, reprotoxic, persistent/bioaccumulative/toxic (PBT/vPvB), or of equivalent concern such as an endocrine disruptor.
- Candidate List
- The official ECHA register of SVHCs proposed for inclusion in Annex XIV (Authorisation). Inclusion triggers immediate Article 33 communication duties.
- REACH
- EU Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. The legal framework underlying the SVHC system.
- Annex XVII
- The REACH list of restricted substances — substances or uses that are outright limited or prohibited (e.g. Entry 27 nickel release, Entry 75 tattoo inks). Distinct from the Candidate List.
- Annex XIV
- The REACH Authorisation list. Substances move from the Candidate List to Annex XIV when ECHA recommends them for Authorisation — meaning their use requires explicit permission past a sunset date.
- Article 33
- REACH duty requiring suppliers of articles to communicate the presence of any SVHC above 0.1% w/w to recipients down the supply chain, and to consumers on request within 45 days.
- CMR
- Carcinogenic, Mutagenic, or Reprotoxic. The three classical SVHC criteria; most Candidate List entries are flagged for one of these properties.
- PBT / vPvB
- Persistent, Bioaccumulative, Toxic / very Persistent, very Bioaccumulative. Environmental-persistence criteria for SVHC identification.
- Endocrine disruptor
- A substance that interferes with the endocrine system, causing adverse health effects. An "equivalent concern" criterion for SVHC inclusion since 2012.
- SCIP database
- ECHA database (Substances of Concern In articles, as such or in complex objects, Products) where article suppliers must notify SVHC content from January 2021 onward.
Related Reading — Regulatory Pulse
Latest regulatory coverage from the Poli International newsroom — context for the changes REACH Monitor surfaces.
UK REACH expands SVHC Candidate List to include n-hexane and bisphenol AF (BPAF), triggering immediate supply chain notification duties for body art studios importing jewelry and inks. Facilities must audit suppliers, request compliance documentation, and prepare 45-day response protocols for consumer SVHC inquiries. Non-compliance risks enforcement action and insurance denial.
The UK government's 30 December 2025 decision on tattoo ink restrictions, published 15 January 2026, formally establishes UK REACH as a regulatory framework independent of EU REACH. Studios and suppliers must now verify compliance against UK-specific thresholds and timelines; "EU REACH compliant" is no longer automatically sufficient for UK distribution. Request written UK REACH compliance confirmation from suppliers, update batch tracking systems, and prepare for potential regulatory divergence on aromatic amine limits, heavy metal thresholds, and phase-in deadlines—all of which remain under UK specification and may differ from EU standards.
The EU's January 2026 amendment to the Cosmetics Regulation (Commission Regulation 2026/78) reclassifies silver as a reproductive toxin and restricts carcinogenic preservatives in tattoo inks and PMU formulations, effective May 1, 2026—forcing European studios to audit inventory, verify supplier CoAs, and discontinue non-compliant pigments within six weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ECHA SVHC Candidate List?
The Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) is maintained by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) under EU REACH. It is updated approximately every six months. Studios that supply articles containing a listed substance above 0.1% w/w have legal notification obligations.
How often is REACH Monitor checked?
Automated checks run every 14 days against the current ECHA Candidate List. Subscribers receive an email within 24 hours of any change that affects their declared materials, plus an "all clear" record on every cycle for compliance files.
Is REACH Monitor really free?
Yes. Search and subscription are free with no login. It is operated by Poli International as a service to the body art profession because compliance should not depend on a studio's budget.
Does this monitor only cover jewellery materials?
No. The ECHA SVHC Candidate List is substance-level, so any chemical in any studio product is in scope — including surface disinfectants and instrument cleaners (BPR-regulated), sterile gauze, wipes, plaster adhesives and packaging (often containing plasticisers or adhesive monomers), and anaesthetic and aftercare creams or lubricants (Cosmetics Regulation). Treat every consumable's SDS Section 3 as monitor-relevant, not just the jewellery you implant.
Do you host a copy of the SVHC list on this site?
No. The ECHA Candidate List database is the authoritative source and updates in real time, so we link out to ECHA rather than mirror it. Our 2-weekly automated check tracks what changed between updates — substances added or removed since the prior review — and that delta is displayed on this page and emailed to subscribers.
Does this replace a formal compliance audit?
No. REACH Monitor provides general information based on the ECHA Candidate List. It does not replace legal advice, a manufacturer SDS, or a formal compliance audit. Always confirm regulatory status with your supplier for the specific batch you use.
Who built REACH Monitor?
Patrick Poli, inventor of BioFlex® body jewelry and founder of Poli International, with over 25 years certifying body-jewelry materials under EU regulation. The monitoring system used internally for the BioFlex® compliance file powers this public page.
Need a signed compliance statement for a specific material, or want to discuss a custom watchlist for a multi-studio operation?
Contact Patrick Poli →