Lyral (HICC)
A synthetic lily-of-the-valley fragrance so allergenic the EU banned it — but it can still appear in older or non-EU products
INCIHydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde
- Category
- Fragrance
- Risk level
- high
- What it is
- A synthetic "muguet" (lily-of-the-valley) fragrance; INCI Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde
- EU status: BANNED
- Prohibited in EU cosmetics under Regulation (EU) 2017/1410 (not placed on market from Aug 2019, not sold from Aug 2021)
- Why banned
- One of the most common fragrance allergens in Europe — affected ~2–3% of the general population
- Fragrance Mix II
- A component of FM II; its EU ban came after it was added to the test panel
Look for these names on ingredient lists
This ingredient may appear under any of these names:
Commonly found in
Possible reactions
- Allergic contact dermatitis
- Persistent facial and neck dermatitis from perfume
- Airborne contact dermatitis
- Eyelid dermatitis from fragranced products
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What is Lyral?
Lyral (INCI: Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde; HICC) is a synthetic fragrance chemical created in the 1970s to give a muguet — lily-of-the-valley — clean floral scent. For decades it was one of the most widely used synthetic fragrance ingredients worldwide, in hundreds of perfumes, cosmetics, soaps, and household products.
Its story is now mostly a regulatory one.
Banned in the EU (the headline)
Lyral was flagged as a significant allergen in the 1990s, and patch-test positivity climbed through the 2000s to the point where it affected an estimated 2–3% of the general European population (and far more of dermatitis patients). The EU's response was decisive: under Regulation (EU) 2017/1410, HICC was prohibited in cosmetics — not placed on the market from August 2019, not made available from August 2021.
So in the EU, Lyral should be gone. But it isn't banned everywhere, so it can still turn up in pre-ban stock and non-EU products — which is exactly why it remains on the Fragrance Mix II test panel.
Why it causes reactions
HICC is an α,β-unsaturated aldehyde — a reactive electrophile that readily binds skin proteins (lysine/cysteine) to form strong haptens, driving Type IV hypersensitivity. Combine that potency with its former ubiquity and high perfume concentrations, and you get a leading cause of fragrance allergy — sometimes severe and persistent, occasionally as airborne dermatitis from simply being near lyral-containing perfume.
How to spot and avoid it
- Read labels for Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde (it should be absent from post-2019 EU products).
- Prefer EU-compliant, post-2019 fragrances if you're HICC-sensitive.
- Be cautious with older or non-EU perfumes, including gray-market imports.
- Go fragrance-free for the most complete avoidance.
The bottom line
Lyral is the rare fragrance allergen that got banned outright in the EU for being too common a sensitiser. If you're HICC-positive, you're largely protected by post-2019 EU products — the risk now lives in old stock and non-EU formulations, so check labels for its long INCI name when buying fragrance.
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