Cosmetic safety assessments
All cosmetic products on sale in the EU must have a safety assessment or report provided by a qualified safety assessor. The rules governing the safety of cosmetics in the EU are currently the EU Cosmetics Directive 76/768/EEC(4), but from July 2013 there will be significant changes when the new EC Regulation 1223/2009 comes into force. The assessment process is complex and requires a detailed knowledge of regulatory toxicology, a good chemical understanding of the ingredients used, how they are made, and their chemical structures, as well as experience of formulating and optimising cosmetic products.
Our consultant chemist, Dr E. H. Fowles, is a qualified Chartered Chemist of the Royal Society of Chemistry (CChem), has many years experience of dealing with the safety aspects of a wide variety of chemicals, including cosmetic ingredients, and is a member of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists (view career details). We have assessed several thousand products ranging from familiar hair sprays that are sold on the high street to simple body butters containing naturally derived ingredients, from imported mineral pigments and tooth whitening products to complex anti-aging creams. Our safety assessments are also compliance certificates: not only do they confirm that the product is safe for use in the intended application but they confirm that the product complies with the EU cosmetics regulation and its various annexes.
See more on the EU cosmetic product safety regulations for your responsiblities as a manufacturer, importer or seller of cosmetics and see our safety assessment process for information you need to provide us. Also, have a look at examples of unsafe formulations.
Safety assessments for small business
EF Chemical Consulting particularly has the requirements of small and medium-sized manufacturers and importers in mind, and aims to be flexible and economic in the provision of safety assessments. We do not manufacture or market cosmetics or personal care products ourselves, and confidentiality is totally respected. If we find that a formulation does not comply with the regulations we will advise you how to change it for no extra charge. Our customer base is 70% in the UK, but we also have many customers in other countries, especially the USA, Ireland, Spain, Benelux, Scandinavia and Australia.
Other regulatory services
The UK and EU Cosmetic Regulations are highly technical and detailed and EF Chemical Consulting can help you with the other aspects of fulfilling your legal requirements as an importer or manufacturer of cosmetic products.
- Correct labelling, including warnings and ingredients list
- Advice on compilation of Product Information Files
- Letters of compliance. These are useful in persuading potential distributors and retailers that you have fulfilled all your obligations as the Responsible Person, without having to disclose your recipes or documentation to them.
- Advice on notifications. The new central EU notfication portal CPNP is now active, which saves having to notify the poisons authorities in all the EU countries that you sell in (it is currently optional but will be compuslory from 2013). We can help with completing the notifications once you have registered and have log-on details.
Please call us on 01244-351644 (UK) or email edmund@efchemicalconsulting.co.uk to find out more about cosmetic safety assessments or to discuss pricing.
Formulation development
Please contact us for any guidance you may require on general cosmetic consultancy and formulations, especially if you are trying to confirm whether a particular ingredient is allowed or what alternatives are available.