UK Cosmetic Regulations

Are you planning to sell your cosmetics in the UK ?

UK Cosmetic Regulations: The United Kingdom is an important market for cosmetic products in the world (Valued at €9.9 billion at retail sales price in 2021). The United Kingdom is among the leading three cosmetic markets in Western Europe after Germany and France (and followed by Italy) and is the 8th biggest cosmetic industry in the world, behind the USA, China, Japan, India, Brazil, Germany and France. The global cosmetics market size is projected to reach a growth of 25% by 2027 and the UK is often seen as the biggest Western Europe growth in the next years.

The UK Cosmetic Regulations is one of the most complicated cosmetic regulations in the world

The United Kingdom formally left the European Union on January 31, 2020 but the UK Cosmetic Regulations originates from the EU Cosmetic Regulations 1223/2009. Cosmetics companies had until December 31, 2020 (transition period) to comply with the requirements of the “The Product Safety and Metrology etc. (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, Schedule 34”, the so-called “UK Cosmetic Regulations”. Much legislation has been enacted over years to better protect consumers, animals and the environment, to better inform end users and to better harmonize national laws. As such, every cosmetic product available in the UK market, whether for payment or free of charge, needs to comply with a long list of legal requirements.

A company marketing or wishing to market cosmetic products in the United Kingdom thereafter needs to be represented by a Responsible Person based in the UK and comply with the requirements listed below.

Before launching your brand in the UK, pay attention that you took the right decisions as they may affect your success in the long run. Our recommandation for you is to select a qualified partner who will support your development on both sides of the Channel. Biorius ensures your presence in both the EU and the UK by certifying that your products are compliant in both territories!

Biorius, Specialist in EU & UK cosmetic safety assessments

As specialists in EU&UK cosmetic safety assessments and EU&UK cosmetics regulation for more than 15 years, Biorius offers a reliable turnkey solution for verifying and registering cosmetic products in an effective way. This solution, based on in-depth knowledge of the legislation, consists of a team of more than 50 scientific consultants offering a wide range of expertise and sophisticated IT tools and is the fastest and most reliable way to access the European and UK market.

How does Biorius assist you?

Our European registration process requires 5 IMPORTANT STEPS for cosmetic products:

Step 1: Formula Review

This step is a prerequisite for the preparation of the CPSR (Cosmetic Product Safety Report) and the verification of the product label.

The formula review is a meticulous review of your cosmetics formula to ensure that all ingredients are safe for their intended use and comply with the European cosmetics regulation:

The composition is entirely rebuilt from its raw materials and the formula is expressed in trade names. The raw materials documentation is reviewed to verify its regulatory compliance, and the impurities profile is highlighted.
Preliminary calculations and investigations are conducted to ensure that each ingredient and impurity is safe, given the cosmetic product, its intended use and the targeted population.

Step 2: Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR)

The CPSR (Cosmetic Product Safety Report) A&B (signed by a Toxicologist) is a long and complex file of the EU cosmetic regulation.

The CPSR is a comprehensive document produced by a qualified toxicologist. This safety report intends to support and confirm the safe use of the cosmetic product, taking into consideration all pieces of information available, such as toxicological profiles of each ingredient and impurity, test results, certificates, declarations, raw materials documentation, etc. Introducing a cosmetic product to the EU market without a high-quality CPSR is a serious offensive that typically leads to withdrawal from the market, significant financial penalties and serious damage to the cosmetic brand’s reputation.

The CPSR takes the form of two distinct sections, Part A and Part B.

Part A: Cosmetic Product Safety Information

This part of the report contains all data needed for the evaluation of the cosmetic product.

Part B: Cosmetic Product Safety Assessment

This part of the report includes an evaluation of the cosmetic product’s safety and conclusions. The Part B is essential, as it certifies the effectiveness and safety of a product before being placed on the EU market.

Step 3: Product Information File (PIF) and CPNP Notification

A PIF (Product Information File) is a complete cosmetic regulatory file that contains:

A Product Information File is a large and highly-structured dossier containing every piece of information related to a given cosmetic product. Some of the data come from product manufacturers, other data from independent laboratories, and yet other data comes from a duly-qualified safety assessor. Learn more about the Product Information File (PIF)

Once the PIF has been completed, the cosmetic product can be notified electronically in the European Commission via the CPNP (Cosmetic Product Notification Portal) and a unique CPNP number is delivered. This number can be requested from the importer and the Responsible Person at any time, notably by customs officers.

In other words, a notification is to announce to Europe that you will sell a product in Europe.

Technically, cosmetic products are not registered in the EU; they are notified. Unlike other countries and regions that require pre-approval of the products by the competent authorities, the EU requires notification before the product can be launched in its market. This means that verification by the competent authorities is performed after the product is launched in the EU market. For this reason, selecting a qualified and competent Responsible Person is especially important.

Step 4: Labels and Claims Review

The EU cosmetic labelling rules may seem very confusing and although it falls under the responsibility of the distributors (according to Article 6 of the EU cosmetics regulation), the design and edition of labels and packaging are and remain a costly exercise for cosmetic brand owners. Some elements will indeed have to be translated into all the official languages of the countries where the products are sold, and Distributors have to ensure this info is properly translated. Labels only in English are indeed not always sufficient. The labels (or certain parts of the labels) indeed must be translated in the country’s language, but it really depends on each EU country. Welcome to EU, one of the largest market for cosmetic products in the world… and their 27 countries with their 24 different languages!

The distributors are of course fully entitled to refuse products that would not comply with these requirements.

A clear label is important to help consumers for their purchases and to protect their health, all important information always has to be easily accessible, readable and understandable by the consumer at the time of purchase. The rule is actually quite simple: the end-consumer has to understand precisely what he is buying when he is checking the product.

A Label Review is a complete compliance of packaging and labels and the experts will check everything on the packaging and labels: claims, PAO (Period After Opening), warnings, INCI list, … .

In summary, making a Label Review in Europe (complete review and revision of labels and claims that take into account all European regulations) and a consultancy on specific claims or topics that the brand wants to promote as marketing text (by a recognized and renown company like Biorius) is the best idea for your business.

Step 5: Legal Representation

The Legal Representation for cosmetics in UK is called the Responsible Person. The Responsible Person comes with many responsibilities and the Responsible Person will be held responsible in the event of a non-compliance problem.

A simple and easy way to explain the Responsible Person is:

A Responsible Person is designated in SCPN for each notified product. Among other important functions, this Responsible Person will ensure the compliance of the cosmetic products on an ongoing basis and will update the PIF when necessary.

In short, being a Responsible Person implies many responsibilities and is an important and delicate matter that should not be taken lightly. Cosmetic brands should really invest time in this crucial step. Check out the best way to choose your Responsible Person

Learn more about Responsible Persons and their obligations