{"id":2598,"date":"2026-06-19T11:42:49","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T09:42:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clearorg.eu\/?p=2598"},"modified":"2026-06-19T11:42:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T09:42:49","slug":"european-cosmetic-regulations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clearorg.eu\/en\/european-cosmetic-regulations\/","title":{"rendered":"European Regulations That Also Impact the Cosmetics Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Developing a cosmetic product today involves much more than complying solely with the European <a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/FR\/ALL\/?uri=celex%3A32009R1223\">Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No. 1223\/2009<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Numerous <strong>cross-sector regulations<\/strong> must also be taken into account throughout the <strong>product lifecycle<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/clearorg.eu\/en\/contact\/\">CLEAR<\/a> has prepared an overview of the main regulatory texts impacting the cosmetics industry in Europe.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5>1) Formula Compliance<\/h5>\n<p>The product formula must comply with Annexes II to VI of Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No. 1223\/2009.<\/p>\n<p>Other cross-sector regulations must also be considered, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/FR\/ALL\/?uri=celex:32006R1907\">REACH<\/a> (Regulation (EC) No. 1907\/2006): registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals, including restrictions on intentionally added microplastics (Regulation (EU) 2023\/2055).<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/FR\/ALL\/?uri=celex%3A32008R1272\">CLP<\/a> (Regulation (EC) No. 1272\/2008): classification, labelling and packaging of hazardous substances, particularly CMR substances incorporated into the Cosmetics Regulation through the so-called \u201cOMNIBUS\u201d Regulations (OMNIBUS VIII being the latest update).<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/eli\/reg\/2019\/1021\/oj\/eng\">POP Regulation<\/a> (Regulation (EU) 2019\/1021): prohibits the production, placing on the market and use of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Plant-based raw materials<\/strong>: companies must also consider the <strong>Nagoya<\/strong> Protocol, the <strong>CITES<\/strong> Regulation, and the EU <strong>Deforestation<\/strong> Regulation, which aims to ensure that products placed on the European market present no or only a negligible risk of contributing to deforestation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fragrances and aromas<\/strong>: compliance with IFRA Standards should also be taken into account.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>National requirements<\/strong> may also apply, such as PFAS and R-Nano regulations in France.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5>2) Packaging<\/h5>\n<p>The Cosmetics Regulation requires companies to demonstrate <strong>product-packaging compatibility <\/strong>and product stability in order to ensure consumer safety.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, Cosmetics Europe Recommendations (2019) provide a methodological framework regarding the data required for the safety assessment of cosmetic packaging materials.<\/p>\n<p>These sector-specific requirements are complemented by additional regulations, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/eli\/reg\/2025\/40\/oj\/eng\">Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)<\/a>: adopted in 2025, with objectives related to packaging reduction, reuse, recyclability and the reduction of substances of concern.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/FR\/ALL\/?uri=celex:32006R1907\">REACH Regulation<\/a> (EC No. 1907\/2006): also applies to packaging materials, including plastics, adhesives and other components.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In France, packaging choices must also comply with the requirements arising from the <strong>AGEC<\/strong> Law, the <strong>Climate and Resilience<\/strong> Law, and <strong>PFAS<\/strong>-related regulations.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5>3) Testing<\/h5>\n<p>There are <strong>no specific regulations<\/strong> prescribing which tests must be performed on cosmetic products. However, international <strong>standards<\/strong> exist to harmonize best practices for testing methodologies.<\/p>\n<p>It is the responsibility of the Responsible Person and the Safety Assessor to determine which tests are necessary to demonstrate product safety.<\/p>\n<p>Examples include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>ISO 11930 for antimicrobial protection testing (Challenge Test).<\/li>\n<li>ISO 24444 for in vivo SPF testing.<\/li>\n<li>ISO 24443 for in vitro UVA protection testing of sunscreen products.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5>4) Labelling and Claims<\/h5>\n<p>Article 19 of the Cosmetics Regulation defines the mandatory labelling requirements for cosmetic products.<\/p>\n<p>Labelling requirements may <strong>vary between Member States<\/strong> and should be considered before placing products on the market.<\/p>\n<p>For example, France requires specific <strong>sorting instructions<\/strong> under the AGEC Law. The PPWR provides for the harmonization of sorting labels across Europe by 2028.<\/p>\n<p>Additional requirements also apply to specific product categories:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Sunscreen products<\/strong>: European Commission <a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/FR\/ALL\/?uri=CELEX:32006H0647\">Recommendation 2006\/647\/EC<\/a> provides guidance on claims, warnings and labelling practices.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Aerosols<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/eli\/dir\/2013\/10\/oj\/eng\">Aerosols Directive 2013\/10\/EU<\/a> (as amended) establishes specific safety and labelling requirements.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For e-commerce sales, the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) requires the display of specific consumer information and the protection of consumers&#8217; personal data.<\/p>\n<p>Cosmetic claims are governed by <a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/eli\/reg\/2013\/655\/oj\/eng\">Regulation (EU) No. 655\/2013<\/a>, which establishes common criteria for cosmetic claims.<\/p>\n<p>Regarding environmental claims, <a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/fr\/ALL\/?uri=CELEX:32024L0825\">Directive (EU) 2024\/825<\/a> on empowering consumers for the green transition has applied since March 2024 and regulates environmental claims and labels while awaiting the final adoption of the proposed Green Claims Directive, which aims to further strengthen the substantiation and verification of environmental claims.<\/p>\n<p>In France, companies can also rely on the CNC Guide for Environmental Claims.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5>5) Manufacturing<\/h5>\n<p>Manufacturing sites must comply with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) as defined by ISO 22716.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Compliance of a cosmetic product no longer relies solely on Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No. 1223\/2009 but also on numerous <strong>cross-sector regulations<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In an <strong>increasingly complex regulatory environment<\/strong>, maintaining an effective regulatory monitoring system has become essential for ensuring compliance, securing business activities and anticipating future regulatory developments.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/clearorg.eu\/en\/contact\/\">CLEAR<\/a> supports companies in managing these regulatory challenges. Feel free to contact us to discuss your needs.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em><u>Sources<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No. 1223\/2009<\/li>\n<li>REACH Regulation (EC) No. 1907\/2006<\/li>\n<li>CLP Regulation (EC) No. 1272\/2008<\/li>\n<li>Regulation (EU) No. 655\/2013 on cosmetic claims<\/li>\n<li>Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)<\/li>\n<li>Cosmetics Europe \u2013 Recommendations on Packaging Compatibility (2019)<\/li>\n<li>ANSES<\/li>\n<li>ARPP<\/li>\n<li>COSMED<\/li>\n<li>FEBEA<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Developing a cosmetic product today involves much more than complying solely with the<span class=\"excerpt-hellip\"> [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":2599,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[266,204,252,99,261,112,205,101],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/clearorg.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2598"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/clearorg.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/clearorg.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clearorg.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clearorg.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2598"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/clearorg.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2598\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2610,"href":"https:\/\/clearorg.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2598\/revisions\/2610"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clearorg.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/clearorg.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clearorg.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clearorg.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}