Frequently Asked Questions

Are your services expensive?

Our rates are highly competitive. We’re able to offer this due to our lean and agile operational structure, so we’ve passed these savings on to our clients. You may find more competitive quotes than ours, but we can’t be matched on customer care. This makes all the difference.

Our Responsible Person (RP) service is charged monthly to help with your cash flow - another benefit of partnering with COSMESURE®.

are your services bespoke?

We are exceptionally flexible – we were founded to with ultimate flexibility for our clients and RP partners in mind. We offer support to businesses large and small - from micro start-up companies all the way to large international brands. Our friendly team of experts are 100% focused on your priorities and your experience.

We offer stand-alone services for those ad-hoc projects and packages for our Responsible Person (RP) clients that require support for several years. Each project is unique and is treated as such. Most of our services are delivered remotely, however, if on-site support is needed to fill a temporary staffing gap then reach out - we can help here too.

What are your standard turnaround times?

We aim to turn around formulation and artwork reviews within 3 - 5 working days. The total project timelines depend on the quality and completeness of the information we receive, the complexity of a project and available resource at the time. During busy periods our timelines may be extended. Rest assured that every project gets the required level of attention and support.

We’ll make sure to agree our turnaround times are agreed with you from the outset and we’ll keep you updated with progress on projects so you have full visibility of project timelines.

Do you offer an expedited service?

We do. We understand that serious urgency is sometimes needed for those mission-critical projects, requests from suppliers and customers etc. Where available, we can agree an expedited service with a 24 hour turnaround. Great for cosmetic companies who need results quickly. Our standard turnaround times are excellent too, but we’re always striving to be faster to deliver maximum value for our clients and RP partners.

Who can be a Responsible Person (RP)?

A Responsible Person can be a legal or natural person. This means a registered business or a human individual. Under the UK and EU regulation this function can be outsourced to a specialist provider such as COSMESURE®.

Why choose an outsource provider as a Responsible Person?

Fulfilling the obligations of the Responsible Person (RP) can be daunting, particularly for those who have limited experience. We are dedicated to supporting businesses to enable international trade by bringing safe and compliant products to the UK market.

While manufacturers, importers and distributors can act as RP these businesses are often focused on their primary commercial functions. Meanwhile, regulatory compliance is COSMESURE®’s primary focus.

In either case, there can only be a single appointed RP for each product in the UK. Many organisations will only accept the responsibility for products that they are commercially involved with – for example, a distributor may not wish to act as RP for your D2C products as the distributor does not commercially benefit from these sales. In this instance, a third-party professional provider such as COSMESURE® might be your solution. As in market agents have an in depth knowledge of the UK regulatory framework, guidance and case-law.

Partnering with COSMESURE® means we become an extension of your business for a fraction of the cost of hiring a full-time regulatory professional. We’ll work collaboratively with your goals in mind.

What effect has Brexit had?

Brexit has had a significant impact on the ability of businesses to trade internationally. Brexit has caused and is still causing a divergence in the regulatory frameworks of the UK and the EU.

Since Brexit non-UK manufacturers (including EU companies) must have a UK-based Responsible Person (RP) for their cosmetic and beauty products. This means registering an address in Northern Ireland or Great Britain, or outsourcing the responsibility to a third party.

We have an excellent understanding of the UK and EU regulatory framework.

If a product is compliant for the UK is it automatically compliant for the eu?

No. Due to Brexit the UK’s regulatory framework is diverging away from the EU in a number of instances. This divergence means that a compliant product in the UK is not automatically compliant for the EU and vice versa.

which countries are in the European union (EU)?

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.

does every cosmetic product require a cosmetic product safety report (CPSR)?

Yes. A Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR) also known as a Safety Assessment (SA) is a legal requirement for each cosmetic product.

Sometimes, SKUs within a product line can be grouped together (for example 7 shades of lipstick can be covered by a single assessment).

does every cosmetic product require a Challenge test?

No. This depends on the individual product when taking into account its formulation and packaging.

does every cosmetic product require a stability test?

No. This depends on the individual product when taking into account its formulation and packaging. For some products, it is impractical to carry out stability studies, or they are not required due to how they are used.

does every cosmetic product need to be notified in the uk/eu?

Yes. It is a legal requirement that each cosmetic product is notified before it is placed on the market.

If you want to sell your product(s) in Great Britian (England, Scotland, Wales) then the product(s) must be notified on the UK portal.

If you want to sell your product(s) in the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) then the product(s) must be notified on the UK portal and the EU portal.

If you want to sell your product(s) in the European Union or Northern Ireland then the product(s) must be notified on the EU portal.

do i need to include specific languages on the packaging of cosmetic products?

Yes, UK and EU law requires that mandatory information be written in the language of the member state where the consumer is located.

If your brand is based in the UK and you sell a product to a consumer in the Netherlands, Dutch law also applies to the product, and the mandatory information must be labeled in Dutch. Some countries go further and require that almost everything on pack is translated.

How feasible is it for a product’s packaging to comply in all EU member states?

EU law requires that mandatory information be written in the language of the member state where the consumer is located (see above for more detail on this). Given the number of national languages and the variety of recycling and takeback schemes across the EU, it would be very challenging for a product’s packaging to comply with the requirements of all EU 27 member states. Available space on pack is often a constraint. However, there are several options to explore:

1) Print bespoke packaging for each member state where you plan to sell your product.

2) Use multilanguage labels. Peel-and-reveal labels can significantly increase the available printable space on your packaging.

3) Target key member states first. It's unlikely that a product will have equal commercial opportunity in every member state.

if i sell products online only do i still need to comply with labelling and packaging requirements?

Yes, the rule is that the laws of the consumer's country apply. If you sell a product to a consumer in France, French law governs the formulation, labeling, and packaging of the product, in addition to EU law.

Will i need to pay import/export taxes, vat, sales taxes, and packaging taxes?

COSMESURE® cannot provide advice or opinion on which taxes you will be required to pay. However, please be aware that you may be required to pay import/export taxes, VAT, plastic packaging tax or make financial contributions toward mandatory waste & recycling schemes. The UK and each member state in the EU has its own specific rules and requirements.