Selling cosmetics and beauty products: the rules by market
The rules cosmetics and beauty products must meet before going on sale in the EU, the UK, Switzerland, the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, the UAE and Saudi Arabia: who writes them, who enforces them, and what has to be registered, tested and labelled, with the official source for each. Compliant Always shows which of them apply to your product.
Europe
- European UnionIn the EU, cosmetics are governed by Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. A product needs a responsible person in the EU, an expert safety assessment and safety report before it is sold, and a notification in the Cosmetic Products Notification Portal. Colourants, preservatives and UV filters must be authorised, and animal testing for cosmetic purposes is banned.Selling cosmetics and beauty products in the EU
- United KingdomIn Great Britain, a cosmetic product needs a Responsible Person with a UK address, who keeps a Product Information File with a safety report, notifies the Office for Product Safety and Standards before the product is sold, and reports serious harmful effects. Northern Ireland follows EU rules, with a Responsible Person in NI or the EU.Selling cosmetics and beauty products in the UK
- SwitzerlandIn Switzerland, cosmetics are utility articles under food law, set by the LGV and the FDHA Ordinance on Cosmetic Products (VKos). Before first sale, a product information file with a safety report is prepared, in an official language or English. Substance lists follow the annexes of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Cantonal authorities enforce.Selling cosmetics in Switzerland
The Americas
- United StatesIn the US, the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA) is the largest expansion of the FDA's authority over cosmetics since 1938. Facilities that make or process cosmetics register with the FDA, the responsible person lists each product with its ingredients, keeps records substantiating its safety, and reports serious adverse events within 15 business days.Selling cosmetics and beauty products in the US
- CanadaIn 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.Selling cosmetics and beauty products in Canada
- MexicoIn Mexico, cosmetics are defined and controlled under the General Health Law, with COFEPRIS acting for the Secretaría de Salud. Makers, importers and sellers hold safety and efficacy studies, products tested on animals may not be made, imported or sold, and labels follow NOM-141-SSA1/SCFI-2012 in Spanish, with INCI names allowed.Selling cosmetics and beauty products in Mexico
- BrazilIn Brazil, personal hygiene products, cosmetics and perfumes follow ANVISA's RDC 907/2024. Products are Grade 1 or Grade 2 by risk; nine groups, including sunscreens, repellents and hair straighteners, need registration, and the rest are communicated to ANVISA before sale. The company needs ANVISA authorisation, and labels are in Brazilian Portuguese.Selling cosmetics in Brazil
Asia and the Pacific
- AustraliaIn Australia, cosmetics carry an ingredient list under the Consumer Goods (Cosmetics) Information Standard 2020, made under the Australian Consumer Law. Businesses that import or make their chemicals register with AICIS. Some ingredients fall under the Poisons Standard, and products with therapeutic claims, including sunscreens made mainly for sun protection, are therapeutic goods.Selling cosmetics and beauty products in Australia
- New ZealandIn New Zealand, cosmetics are hazardous substances regulated under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act 1996, through the Cosmetic Products Group Standard administered by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). Cosmetics may not make therapeutic claims or contain scheduled medicines, a line Medsafe draws. Sunscreens must meet AS/NZS 2604:2012 under the Sunscreen (Product Safety Standard) Act 2022.Selling cosmetics and beauty products in New Zealand
- JapanIn Japan, cosmetics fall under the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act. Only a holder of a cosmetics marketing licence may place them on the market, and each product is notified in advance. Ingredients follow the Standards for Cosmetics, labels are in Japanese, and products with mild active effects, such as deodorants, are quasi-drugs needing approval.Selling cosmetics and beauty products in Japan
- South KoreaIn South Korea, cosmetics are regulated by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) under the Cosmetics Act. A registered responsible cosmetic distributor places each product on the market, reports its bill of materials before sale, and answers for quality and post-market safety. Functional cosmetics are examined or reported first, and labels are in Korean.Selling cosmetics in South Korea
- SingaporeIn Singapore, cosmetics follow the Health Products Act and the Health Products (Cosmetic Products – ASEAN Cosmetic Directive) Regulations 2007, administered by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA). Manufacturers and importers notify each product before supply, renew the notification yearly, follow the ASEAN Annexes and labelling rules, and report serious adverse effects.Selling cosmetics and beauty products in Singapore
- IndiaIn India, cosmetics fall under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Cosmetics Rules, 2020. Imported cosmetics are registered with the Central Licensing Authority at CDSCO before import, and cosmetics made in India are made under a licence from the State Licensing Authority. Animal testing of cosmetics is not allowed.Selling cosmetics in India
The Middle East
- United Arab EmiratesIn the UAE, cosmetics and personal care products fall under Cabinet Resolution No. 18 of 2014. Each needs a safety report and a MoIAT conformity certificate under ECAS before it is sold, and its label meets UAE.S GSO 1943. Perfumes have their own scheme. In Dubai, products are also registered in Dubai Municipality's Montaji system.Selling cosmetics in the UAE
- Saudi ArabiaIn Saudi Arabia, cosmetics are regulated by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) under the Cosmetic Products Law (Royal Decree M/49) and its Implementing Regulation. A product may not be imported or traded until it is listed with SFDA, through notification in the Unified Electronic System (GHAD). Labels follow SFDA.CO/GSO 1943, and the notifier answers for safety.Selling cosmetics in Saudi Arabia
Other products
- Food
- Supplements
- Beverages
- Alcohol
- Infant formula and baby food
- Pet food
- Cleaning products and detergents
- Toys
- Electrical and electronics
- Clothing, footwear and textiles
- Kitchenware and food contact articles
- Consumer goods
Selling cosmetics and beauty products somewhere not listed here? Tell us the product and the market, and we will come back to you with the rules that apply.
Tell us where you sellCompliant 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.