Cosmetic products sold in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) must comply with the UK Cosmetics Regulation. In practice, that means five things are in place before a product goes on sale: a UK-established Responsible Person, a safety assessment, a Product Information File, a notification through the government’s Submit Cosmetic Product Notifications (SCPN) service, and compliant English-language labelling. Ingredients must also meet the regulation’s lists of banned and restricted substances, which are changing through 2026 and 2027.

This guide is for international beauty brands preparing to sell in the UK, and for the retailers, distributors and wholesalers who buy from them. It explains what the rules require, who is responsible for what, which ingredient changes are coming, and the questions to settle before you sign a supply deal.

What are the UK cosmetics regulations?

The main law is Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, which the UK kept after leaving the EU and has since amended for Great Britain. It is usually called the UK Cosmetics Regulation. The Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013 set out how it is enforced, including the offences that apply when products don’t comply.

• Who sets the rules: the Secretary of State is the competent authority. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) runs the regulatory work, including product notifications and reports of serious reactions.
• Who enforces them: local authority Trading Standards in England, Wales and Scotland.
• What counts as a cosmetic: any product applied to the outside of the body, teeth or mouth to clean, perfume, change the appearance of, protect or condition it. That covers skincare, make-up, haircare, fragrance, nail products, deodorants and toothpaste.

Many of the rules still mirror the EU’s, because both started from the same regulation. They are now two separate systems, though. The UK and the EU make their own changes to ingredient lists, on their own timetables.

The requirements at a glance

The Responsible Person

A cosmetic product cannot be placed on the market in Great Britain unless it has a Responsible Person (RP) established in the UK. The RP is the legal point of contact for the product and answers for its compliance.

Who takes on the role depends on the route to market:

• UK manufacturers are the RP for the products they make, unless they appoint someone else.
• Importers are the RP for the products they bring in, unless they appoint someone else.
• Brands based outside the UK can appoint a UK business, such as a specialist RP service or their UK distributor, by written mandate. The appointed party must accept the role.
• Distributors become the RP if they sell a product under their own name or trade mark, or change it in a way that could affect compliance.

For international brands, choosing the RP is one of the first market-entry decisions. It affects who holds the product file, whose address goes on the label and who deals with Trading Standards if a problem arises.

Safety assessment and the Cosmetic Product Safety Report

Every cosmetic product must be safe for human health when used under normal and reasonably foreseeable conditions. To show this, the RP needs a Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR) signed by a qualified safety assessor.

The report has two parts: the safety information (formulation, ingredient data, exposure, stability, microbiological quality and other evidence) and the assessor’s conclusion. Products made for children under three, and products used only for external intimate hygiene, need a specific assessment.

A safety report written for another market may be a useful starting point, but the GB report has to reflect GB requirements and GB ingredient rules.

The Product Information File

The Product Information File (PIF) is the technical file for each product. The RP keeps it in English, keeps it up to date, and makes it available to the authorities at the address given in the product’s notification. It must be kept for 10 years after the last batch is placed on the market.

The PIF includes:

• a description of the product;
• the safety report;
• the manufacturing method and a statement of compliance with good manufacturing practice;
• evidence for any claimed effect, where the product’s nature or effect justifies it;
• data on any animal testing carried out.

Notification through SCPN

Before a product goes on sale in Great Britain, the RP must notify it to the government through the Submit Cosmetic Product Notifications (SCPN) service. This is the GB system. The EU uses its own portal, the CPNP, so a product notified in the EU still needs a separate GB notification.

The notification includes details such as the product category, the RP’s contact details and any substances classed as CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction). If anything in the notification changes, the RP must update it.

Products containing nanomaterials have an extra step. They must be notified at least six months before they go on sale, and nanomaterials are marked “(nano)” in the ingredients list.

Labelling requirements

Labels on cosmetics sold in Great Britain must show, in indelible, easily legible and visible lettering:

• the RP’s name and address (a UK address for GB products);
• the country of origin for imported products (“Made in the EU” is not accepted);
• the nominal contents by weight or volume;
• the date of minimum durability, or the period-after-opening symbol for products that last more than 30 months;
• precautions and warnings, in English;
• the batch number;
• the product’s function, where it isn’t clear from its presentation;
• the full ingredients list, using INCI names in descending order of weight, with fragrance shown as “parfum” or “aroma”.

In Great Britain, listed fragrance allergens must be named individually in the ingredients list when they exceed 0.001% in leave-on products (including perfume) or 0.01% in rinse-off products. Great Britain still uses the original, shorter allergen list. The EU has expanded its list to more than 80 allergens, and this also applies in Northern Ireland. Stock labelled for the EU may therefore name more allergens than GB requires, but labels made only for GB will not meet EU or Northern Ireland rules.

Labels produced for other markets often miss at least one GB requirement, most often the RP’s UK address. Re-labelling is possible, but remember that a distributor who re-labels under its own name may become the RP. Our guide to Arabic perfume wholesale for UK buyers shows what this looks like for fragrance made for Gulf markets.

Manufacturing, animal testing and product claims

UK buyers will expect your products to meet GB rules on manufacturing, animal testing and product claims before they talk about listing. Here is what applies, so you can check your products and marketing before you arrive.

Good manufacturing practice: cosmetics must be made to good manufacturing practice. The harmonised standard is ISO 22716.

Animal testing: a product can’t be sold in Great Britain if the finished product, its ingredients or combinations of ingredients were tested on animals to meet the regulation’s requirements. Data from before the testing ban can still be used. A “not tested on animals” claim is only allowed if neither the manufacturer nor its suppliers carried out or commissioned such testing, and the evidence must be in the PIF.

Claims: labels and marketing must not suggest a product has characteristics or functions it doesn’t have. Claims must meet six common criteria: legal compliance, truthfulness, evidential support, honesty, fairness and informed decision-making. A product can’t claim to be “approved” by a regulator, and it can’t present the legal minimum as a selling point.

Serious undesirable effects

A serious undesirable effect (SUE) is a reaction to a cosmetic that causes, for example, temporary or permanent functional incapacity, disability, hospitalisation, birth defects or an immediate risk to life. The RP must report SUEs to OPSS without delay. Government guidance treats this as within 30 calendar days of anyone in the business becoming aware of a possible SUE. Distributors have to report them too.

Retailers and distributors should know how to pass a customer complaint to the RP quickly and who in their business does it.

Banned and restricted ingredients: changes in 2026 and 2027

The UK Cosmetics Regulation lists banned substances (Annex 2) and restricted substances with limits and conditions (Annex 3), plus approved preservatives, colourants and UV filters. GB updates these lists through statutory instruments. Two made in early 2026 are now taking effect:

What to do now:

• Brands: check every formulation for GB sale against the new entries, update the safety report, PIF and SCPN notification where you reformulate, and plan production so non-compliant stock isn’t shipped after the dates above.
• Buyers: ask suppliers in writing whether any product you stock contains these substances, especially gel nail products (TPO) and fragranced products (hexyl salicylate). Plan to clear affected stock before the sell-through deadline.

Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the EU

The UK doesn’t have one set of cosmetics rules. Under the Windsor Framework, Northern Ireland follows the EU Cosmetics Regulation, while Great Britain follows the UK Cosmetics Regulation.

The practical result is that ingredient and labelling rules are drifting apart. A product formulated and labelled for the EU isn’t automatically compliant in Great Britain, and the reverse is also true. If you sell into both, check each market separately.

What buyers should ask a new supplier

Retailers, distributors and wholesalers can’t assume compliance is the supplier’s problem. Distributors have their own legal duties. Before selling a product, they must check that the key label information is present and in English (including the Responsible Person’s name and address, batch number and ingredients list) and that any durability date hasn’t passed. They must not sell a product they believe is non-compliant, and they must store and transport products so they stay compliant. If a retailer sells a product under its own name, or changes it, the retailer becomes the Responsible Person.

Use these questions before you list a new brand:

1. Who is the UK Responsible Person for these products, and can you confirm it in writing?
2. Has each product been notified on SCPN for Great Britain?
3. Is there a current safety report signed by a qualified safety assessor for each product?
4. Are the labels GB-compliant, including the RP’s UK address, country of origin, batch code and English warnings?
5. Do any products contain the substances banned or restricted since 2026, such as TPO or hexyl salicylate?
6. If we sell in Northern Ireland or the EU too, are the products compliant there as well?
7. How do we report a customer reaction or complaint to you, and how quickly do you respond?
8. Who pays for, and handles, a withdrawal or recall if a product is found to be non-compliant?

Suppliers that can answer these clearly, with documents to back them up, are lower-risk partners.

What brands should prepare before entering the UK

For an international brand, compliance comes before buyer meetings. UK buyers will ask the questions above, and a clear answer shows you are ready to trade. Before you approach the market:

1. Decide who will be your UK Responsible Person, and put the arrangement in writing.
2. Check every formulation against the GB annexes, including the 2026 and 2027 changes.
3. Commission or update a safety report for each product from a qualified safety assessor.
4. Build the Product Information File, in English.
5. Notify each product on SCPN.
6. Adapt your labels and packaging for Great Britain.
7. Check your product claims against the common criteria.
8. Decide whether Northern Ireland and the EU are part of your plan, and check their requirements separately.

These steps cost time and money, so build them into your launch plan and pricing. A specialist can tell you which requirements apply to your products and route to market.

Meet regulatory specialists and UK buyers at Tones of Beauty

Tones of Beauty is a B2B trade exhibition connecting global beauty brands with the buyers, distributors, wholesalers and industry specialists shaping the UK and European beauty markets. The 2027 show runs from 30 June to 1 July 2027 at ExCeL London.

For brands, it’s a chance to put your compliance questions to specialists and meet the UK buyers and distributors who will ask them of you. For buyers, it’s a place to compare brands and check how ready they are for the GB market, face to face.

This article is general information, not legal or regulatory advice. Requirements depend on your products, route to market and territory. Speak to a qualified specialist about your specific situation. Legislation last checked: 11 November 2026.

Sources: The Cosmetic Products Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (Restriction of Chemical Substances) (Amendment and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2026, SI 2026/23 (legislation.gov.uk, made 12 January 2026) · … (No. 2) Regulations 2026, SI 2026/109 (legislation.gov.uk, made 4 February 2026) · Cosmetics guidance for Great Britain (OPSS, GOV.UK) · Cosmetics guidance for Northern Ireland (OPSS, GOV.UK) · Submit a cosmetic product notification (GOV.UK) · UK Cosmetics Regulation, Article 4: Responsible Person (legislation.gov.uk) · UK Cosmetics Regulation, Article 6: Obligations of distributors (legislation.gov.uk)