Information for Industry and Professionals: Cosmetics and Personal Care Products

Health Canada works closely with industry and professionals to regulate and promote the safe use of cosmetics and personal care products that are made for distribution and for retail in Canada.

Check back often at Cosmetics and Personal Care for the newest information.

The basis for the Cosmetics Legislation for the Cosmetics Program comes from the  Food and Drugs Act and  Cosmetic Regulations.

General Requirements for Cosmetics

Under the Food and Drugs Act, Cosmetics include "any substance or mixture of substances, manufactured, sold or represented for use in cleansing, improving or altering the complexion, skin, hair or teeth and includes deodorants and perfumes". This definition also includes cosmetics used by professional esthetic services, bulk institutional products (such as hand soap in school rest rooms), as well as "handmade" cosmetics sold at craft sales or home-based businesses. For more information on product classification, see the "What is a Cosmetic" page.

The three main requirements for the sale of cosmetics in Canada are:

• Notification of Cosmetic Products;
• Safety of Ingredients and Products; and
• Labelling

View the links above for guidance on how to meet the regulatory requirements, information on particular cosmetic products or ingredients, and information on new policies, meetings and reports.

Cosmetics Legislation

All cosmetics sold to consumers in Canada must be safe to use and must not pose any health risk. They meet the requirements of the applicable Cosmetics Acts and Regulations, including the  Food and Drugs Act and the  Cosmetic Regulations.

The Cosmetic Regulations and the Food and Drugs Act require that cosmetics sold in Canada must be manufactured, prepared, preserved, packed and stored under sanitary conditions. The manufacturer must notify Health Canada that it is selling the product and provide a list of the product's ingredients.

Additionally, cosmetics must be packaged and labelled according to the  Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act and  Regulations, and all cosmetic ingredients are subject to the  Canadian Environmental Protection Act.

Cosmetic Consultations

The Consultations section provides an opportunity for stakeholders to become aware of what initiatives are currently ongoing in the area of cosmetic and personal care products, and to provide your comments.

Report a Cosmetic

Cosmetic industry and professionals should see Report an Incident to report any known adverse reactions to their cosmetic and personal care products.

Cosmetics Advisories, Warnings and Recalls

When a cosmetic presents a risk to the public, Health Canada takes immediate action and notifies Canadians of the issue. The newest advisories, warnings and recalls for cosmetics can be found using this link:

• Advisories, Warnings and Recalls

Sign up to our email list so you can get the latest advisories and warnings on cosmetics and personal care products delivered directly to your email inbox. You can also add the Government of Canada Recalls and Safety Alerts Widget to your web page, blog and even certain social networking pages, to stay up-to-date on all consumer product recalls.

Additional Resources and Links

Government of Canada

For cosmetics companies, the following Web sites may inform you about business-related issues or information requirements for other programs within the Government of Canada:

•  Canada Border Services Agency
•  Canada Revenue Agency
•  Industry Canada's Competition Bureau
•  Chemical Substances in Canada
•  Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry, Environment Canada
• Environmental Impact Initiative
•  Bioregulations - Regulation of Health Biotechnology

International Partners

For more information on how cosmetics are regulated in different countries, these Web sites may provide useful information:

•  European Commission
•  United States Food and Drug Administration
•  Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

Industry Associations

For more information on cosmetic ingredient reviews and other aspects of cosmetics, these Industry Association Web sites may provide useful information:

•  Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association
•  United States Personal Care Product Council
•  Allied Beauty Association
•  Direct Sellers Association of Canada
•  Food & Consumer Products of Canada