Cosmetic Regulation

Cosmetics must feature a comprehensive list of ingredients (INCI list), information on shelf life, usage precautions, and the name and address of the person responsible for placing the product on the market.

No, cosmetics are not medicines, hence the regulations governing their respective uses differ.

This varies across different regions of the world. In the European Union, it has been prohibited to test cosmetics on animals since 2004, whereas the FDA, which governs the American market, does not ban this practice. In China and Japan, animal testing for cosmetics remains widely practiced.

The European Union prohibits the use of substances classified as CMR, with the exception of certain ones, deemed safe by the SCCS, which considers that a hazardous property of a substance does not necessarily entail a risk in its use.

The labelling of cosmetics is strictly regulated within the European Union and must notably include the product's usage duration, the batch manufacturing number, the product's function, as well as the list of ingredients.