The best and fastest way is a structured "digital package", ideally shared via Google Drive, Dropbox, or similar.

We recommend one clearly named folder per product(group), containing:

• Final label artwork

• Ingredient list (INCI format)

• Product formula with exact percentages

• Safety documents (SDS, COA, IFRA if fragrance is used)

• Product description and intended use

• Manufacturer details

Authorities and safety assessors work document-by-document, not from emails or screenshots. A structured folder avoids delays, misinterpretation, and re-requests.

For EU and UK cosmetics, the minimum required documents are:

1. Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR)

   • Part A: Safety information

   • Part B: Safety assessment (signed by a qualified safety assessor)

2. Product Information File (PIF)
   (explained in detail below)

3. CPNP (EU) or SCPN (UK) notification

   • Online notification before placing the product on the market

4. Label artwork

   • Must meet all mandatory labeling requirements

5. Manufacturing information

   • GMP compliance (ISO 22716 or equivalent)

Without these, a cosmetic cannot legally be sold, even if it’s already on Amazon or Shopify.

Do we need different artwork for the UK and EU?

In most cases - YES.

Why:

• The Responsible Person address must be local:

  • EU product → EU Responsible Person address

  • UK product → UK Responsible Person address

• The notification systems are different:

  • EU → CPNP

  • UK → SCPN

What might stay the same:

• Design

• Ingredients

• Claims

• Warnings

What usually changes:

• Responsible Person name and address

• Occasionally language or regulatory phrasing

The Product Information File (PIF) is the legal backbone of a cosmetic product.

Authorities can request it at any time, and it must be provided without delay.

A compliant PIF includes:

1. Product description

2. Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR)

3. Manufacturing method and GMP statement

4. Proof of effect for any claims (e.g. “anti-hair loss”, “moisturising”)

5. Animal testing statement

6. Label artwork

7. Ingredient and raw material documentation

Important:

• The PIF must be kept for 10 years

• It must be available in the EU or UK, depending on the market

Warnings depend on ingredients and product type, but the following are common:

Mandatory for all cosmetics:

• Function of the product (unless obvious)

• Ingredient list (INCI)

• Responsible Person name & address

• Nominal content

• Batch / lot number

Conditional warnings:

• “For external use only”

• “Avoid contact with eyes”

• “Keep out of reach of children”

• Any Annex III restricted ingredient warnings (mandatory wording)

Key point:
Warnings are not optional or “nice to have” — if an ingredient requires one, it must appear exactly as prescribed.

Yes – one of them is mandatory.

Rules:

• If shelf life is less than 30 months →
  Date of Minimum Durability (“Best before” date)

• If shelf life is more than 30 months →
  Period After Opening (PAO) symbol (e.g. 12M, 24M)

This is non-negotiable and frequently checked by authorities.

Short answer: It depends on the market and packaging type.

• Cosmetics law itself does not mandate recycling symbols

• Packaging waste laws (EPR) do

Common practice:

• Recycling symbols are placed on consumer-facing packaging

• If the bottle is sold alone → bottle needs marking

• If bottle + outer box → usually both are marked

In many EU countries, missing recycling information can still trigger fines, even if the cosmetic itself is compliant.

Not necessarily.

What is mandatory:

• Responsible Person name and address

Manufacturer details:

• Can be inside the PIF

• Do not need to appear on the consumer label unless used for marketing

Yes.

Rule:

• Mandatory label information must be in the official language(s) of the country of sale

Examples:

• Germany → German

• France → French

• Italy → Italian

What must be translated:

• Function

• Warnings

• Instructions

• Durability information

What does not need translation:

• INCI ingredient list (always Latin/English)

Saw palmetto has specific implications when used in products and requires clarification regarding its classification, as it may have medicinal properties that affect product classification.