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Selling cosmetics and beauty products in Canada

In Canada, cosmetics fall under the Food and Drugs Act and the Cosmetic Regulations, administered by Health Canada, and must be safe for use. Manufacturers and importers notify Health Canada within 10 days of first sale, ingredients take INCI names, other required label text is in English and French, and fragrance allergens are disclosed from 12 April 2026.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Main rules
Food and Drugs Act; Cosmetic Regulations
Regulator
Health Canada
Notification
Within 10 days after first sale; no fee
Ingredients
INCI names on the outer label
Restricted and prohibited
The Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist
Animal testing
Ban in force since 22 December 2023

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is it a cosmetic, or a drug or natural health product? Read more
  2. 2Does any ingredient appear on the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist? Read more
  3. 3Has the manufacturer or importer notified Health Canada within 10 days of first sale? Read more
  4. 4Does the label carry the INCI list, fragrance allergens and bilingual text? Read more
  5. 5Can its safety be shown without new animal testing data? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Safety and the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist

The general safety duty and the list Health Canada uses to signal prohibited and restricted ingredients.

  • A cosmetic is any substance or mixture manufactured, sold or represented for use in cleansing, improving or altering the complexion, skin, hair or teeth, including deodorants and perfumes (section 2, Food and Drugs Act).
  • No person shall sell a cosmetic that has in or on it any substance that may cause injury to the user's health when used as directed or as customary (section 16, Food and Drugs Act).
  • The Hotlist has two tables: prohibited ingredients, which should not be present, and restricted ingredients, permitted only under the listed conditions of use or cautionary statements.
  • Health Canada considers products exceeding Hotlist limits not to comply with section 16 or another provision, and can act whether or not a substance is on the Hotlist.
  • Manufacturers and importers are expected to follow emerging science and post-market data; sale should stop as soon as they know a cosmetic may cause injury.

How we help: Compliant Always reads your formula against the Hotlist entries that apply, with each limit and caution beside the ingredient, and watches the list for updates. Ask about this

Cosmetic notification

Telling Health Canada what is on sale.

  • Manufacturers and importers notify Health Canada within 10 days after they first sell a cosmetic in Canada (section 30, Cosmetic Regulations).
  • The Cosmetic Notification Form covers the label contact information, product name, function, leave-on or rinse-off, form, each ingredient by INCI name with its exact concentration or range, and the Canadian manufacturer or importer.
  • A revised notification is due within 10 days of information becoming inaccurate, such as a formula change, a new name or address, or discontinued sale (section 31).
  • A cosmetic may not be sold after the 10-day period if the notification is missing or incomplete (section 15.3), and may be denied entry into Canada or removed from sale. There is no fee.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the formula with concentrations and the notification together, and shows when a change means a revised notification is due. Ask about this

Labelling

What a cosmetic label shows, under the Cosmetic Regulations and the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act.

  • Required information is shown in English and French, except INCI names (section 18).
  • The inner label gives a contact by which consumers can direct questions, and the product's identity by common or generic name or function unless obvious (section 20).
  • The outer label lists ingredients by INCI name, in descending order of predominance; ingredients at 1% or less and colourants may follow in any order (sections 21.2 and 21.4).
  • Fragrance allergens are listed above 0.01% in rinse-off and 0.001% in leave-on products: 24 from 12 April 2026, 81 for new cosmetics from 1 August 2026, and for existing products from 1 August 2028.
  • A statement of net quantity in metric units and the identity and principal place of business of the dealer are also required, along with warnings or cautions in English and French, and directions for safe use in English and French according to provincial requirements.

How we help: Compliant Always reads your label against the particulars, checks the INCI list against the formula, and flags fragrance allergens above the thresholds. Ask about this

Animal testing ban and claims

What the ban covers, and the evidence behind claims.

  • Since 22 December 2023, testing cosmetics on animals in Canada to meet cosmetic requirements here or abroad is banned where it may cause pain, suffering or injury.
  • A cosmetic may not be sold if its safety cannot be established without such animal testing data, with some exceptions; products already on the market may rely on existing data.
  • A "not tested on animals" claim needs evidence that can be given to the Minister on request.
  • Claims about influencing the chemistry of skin, hair or teeth, or implying no injury to health, need evidence that validates them (section 21).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the safety data and claim evidence for each product, dated, ready when Health Canada or a retailer asks. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ManufacturerSafety, notification, label claims and the evidence behind them.Formula, notification and safety evidence kept together and dated.
ImporterNotification within 10 days of first sale, and safety of what it imports.Suppliers' formulas and data read against the Hotlist before goods arrive.
BrandThe label, in both languages, and the claims it makes.Label checked against the particulars, with the paperwork in one place.

Provinces and territories

The federal Acts and regulations in these guides apply across Canada. Provincial regulations may add labelling requirements for products sold within a province, and Quebec has additional requirements on the use of French on products marketed there.

Alcohol is largely provincial: provincial and territorial liquor boards set their own requirements, and liquor imported into a province is consigned to the provincial body authorised to sell it.

Questions businesses ask

Do I need to register cosmetics in Canada?
Not register, but notify. Manufacturers and importers send Health Canada a Cosmetic Notification Form within 10 days after they first sell a cosmetic in Canada. There is no fee.
What happens if a cosmetic is not notified?
It cannot be sold after the 10-day period (section 15.3, Cosmetic Regulations), and it may be denied entry into Canada or removed from sale.
What is the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist?
Health Canada's list of ingredients that are prohibited in cosmetics or restricted to set conditions of use or cautionary statements. Products exceeding its limits are considered non-compliant.
Do cosmetic labels have to be in French in Canada?
Yes. Information the Cosmetic Regulations require on the label is shown in English and French, except ingredient names, which use INCI names.
How must ingredients be listed on a Canadian cosmetic label?
On the outer label, by INCI name, in descending order of predominance. Ingredients at 1% or less and colourants may follow in any order, and fragrance may be shown as "parfum", apart from fragrance allergens.
When do fragrance allergens have to be on Canadian cosmetic labels?
From 12 April 2026, 24 fragrance allergens above 0.001% in leave-on or 0.01% in rinse-off products. The list grows to 81 for new cosmetics from 1 August 2026, and for existing products from 1 August 2028.
Is animal testing of cosmetics banned in Canada?
Yes, since 22 December 2023, for testing that may cause an animal pain, suffering or injury. A cosmetic may not be sold if its safety cannot be established without such data, with some exceptions.
When must a cosmetic notification be updated?
Within 10 days after the information becomes inaccurate, for example after a formula change, a new product name, a new company address or discontinued sale.
Does the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act apply to cosmetics?
No. Cosmetics are listed in Schedule 1 to that Act and are regulated under the Food and Drugs Act instead. Reporting cosmetic incidents to Health Canada is voluntary.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in Canada?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in, including Canada's federal rules and the bilingual labelling they share. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in Canada and what your paperwork needs to show.

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