Sell cosmetics in the European Union.

No. CE marking does not exist for cosmetics; it belongs to other product laws such as toys, electronics and medical devices. A cosmetic complies through the Regulation 1223/2009 chain instead: an EU Responsible Person, a signed CPSR, a Product Information File and a CPNP notification. A supplier offering a CE certificate for a cosmetic is a warning sign, not a shortcut.

Yes. Every cosmetic placed on the EU market needs a Cosmetic Product Safety Report, a Product Information File, an EU Responsible Person, and CPNP notification. The sales channel does not change the rule. Etsy does not check for a safety report when you list, but you remain fully liable and can be asked for your documentation at any time. Amazon EU actively demands the report and file and suspends listings that cannot produce them.

No. Regulation 1223/2009 has no small-business exemption and no turnover threshold. A hobbyist selling a few bars of soap faces the same Responsible Person, Product Information File, and safety report requirements as a large manufacturer. The fixed cost falls hardest on the smallest sellers, which is real, but the obligation is the same.

Only if you are legally established in the EU. The Responsible Person must be established in the Union, so a non-EU brand cannot be its own Responsible Person. You either set up your own EU entity or appoint a third-party Responsible Person located in the EU. A brand outside the Union cannot self-notify on CPNP, because only a Responsible Person established in the EU can access the portal.

It has to be redone in the EU format. A safety report written for the US or another non-EU market does not satisfy Annex I. The assessment must be prepared as a Cosmetic Product Safety Report and Part B signed by an assessor holding a recognised EU diploma in pharmacy, toxicology, medicine, or a similar discipline. Existing test data you hold can often feed into the new report, which is one of the documents we ask for at the start.

With documents ready, a CPNP notification typically takes about 2 to 5 business days. Only the appointed Responsible Person can legally submit it. A first-time do-it-yourself attempt commonly stretches to several weeks, so brands are advised to start 6 to 8 weeks before launch. The longer part of an EU launch is usually testing, since stability testing on a new formulation can run for months.

The safety report and Product Information File are prepared per product, and CPNP notification is per product. A single soap recipe sold in several scents or colours usually needs each variant assessed and notified, because the composition and exposure can differ. Tell us your range when you ask for a quote and we will confirm what each variant needs.

The CPNP portal itself is free to use. The cost is in appointing a Responsible Person and preparing the documents. A notification carries the product name, category and function, the Responsible Person contact details, the full INCI formulation, images of the label and packaging, the safety report reference and assessor details, and the country of manufacture and batch information.

No. CPNP data is released only to competent authorities for market surveillance and to poison centres for medical treatment. Your full product and formula data is not visible to competitors or to the public.

Without an EU-established Responsible Person, the product cannot lawfully be placed on the market. Market surveillance authorities can require relabelling, order a withdrawal, or block the product until it is compliant. Marketplaces increasingly demand proof of Responsible Person appointment before a cosmetic can be listed, so the missing appointment also blocks the sale.

Yes. The name and address of the Responsible Person must be shown on the product label, alongside the batch number, the INCI ingredient list, and any mandatory warnings in the required language. When we act as your Responsible Person, we give you the exact EU name and address to place on the label.

Yes. A new Responsible Person can take over an existing CPNP entry and manage future updates. You do not lose your notifications and you do not have to re-audit your whole portfolio from scratch. Tell us what you already have in place and we will map the transfer so there is no gap in coverage.

It continues. Responsibility stays active for the whole time the product is on the market, which is why the role carries a recurring fee and ongoing duties rather than a single setup charge. The Product Information File also has to be kept for 10 years after the last batch is placed on the market, and we hold it for that period.