To sell a cosmetic product in Great Britain, you legally need four things before it goes on sale: a Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR) signed by a qualified safety assessor, a Product Information File (PIF), a UK-based Responsible Person, and an SCPN notification to the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS). Your labelling must also meet UK requirements. Since Brexit, these are separate from EU requirements.
What is a CPSR?
A Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR) is a legal document confirming that a cosmetic product is safe for use. It must be completed by a qualified safety assessor before a product is placed on the UK market, and every product requires its own. The CPSR sits at the heart of the Product Information File.
What is a UK Responsible Person?
A UK Responsible Person (RP) is the individual or company, established in the UK, that takes legal responsibility for a cosmetic product’s compliance. Every product sold in Great Britain must have one. The RP maintains the PIF, submits notifications, and acts as the point of contact for the OPSS. Since Brexit, an EU Responsible Person cannot fulfil this role for the UK.
The other pieces: PIF, SCPN and labelling
• PIF (Product Information File): the dossier for each product — CPSR, formula, manufacturing method, claims evidence and safety data — kept available for OPSS inspection.
• SCPN (Submit Cosmetic Product Notification): the UK’s mandatory online notification system, the UK equivalent of the EU’s CPNP. Products must be notified before sale.
• Labelling: English labelling with the INCI ingredient list, warnings, Responsible Person details and required symbols.
The compliance process, step by step
1. Compile your product data — formula, manufacturing detail and any testing.
2. Have a qualified safety assessor complete the CPSR for each product.
3. Assemble the Product Information File around it.
4. Appoint your UK Responsible Person.
5. Submit SCPN notifications to the OPSS.
6. Confirm your labelling meets UK requirements before sale.
A note on ‘clean’, ‘natural’ and environmental claims
Terms like ‘clean’, ‘natural’, ‘green’ and ‘sustainable’ have no legal definition in UK cosmetics — they’re governed by general claims rules and consumer-protection law, which the Competition and Markets Authority enforces through its Green Claims Code. ‘Vegan’ and ‘cruelty-free’ claims are strongest with recognised third-party certification. Present all claims carefully and substantiate them.
How a distributor handles compliance for you
Compliance is technical, and getting it wrong means products held at the border or pulled from shelves. A distributor manages the whole process — coordinating the CPSR with qualified assessors, providing or arranging the Responsible Person, submitting notifications and reviewing labelling. At Luxury Beauty Distribution, this is a core part of our market-entry service. Talk to our team today.
