Labelling
Cosmetics must be labelled with specific information. This includes:
- an address within the European Union (generally the address at which the Product Information File is available);
- a declaration of ingredients (see ‘ingredient labelling’);
- where applicable, an indication of how long the product remains usable after opening or a 'best before' indication if the product is likely to deteriorate within 30 months of manufacture. The New EU Cosmetic Regulation introduces a new symbol for the requirement to label the date of minimum durability (best before). Companies now have the choice to either used the words: "best used before the end of" or the symbol shown in point 3 of Annex VII followed by the date.
Consumers may have specific questions regarding product composition and safety that are not necessarily answered on the product label. A central website has been developed to provide easy access to company contact details. This is a free service for all companies supplying the EU market to register their details. www.european-cosmetics.info. Contact details, and sometimes customer carelines, are also available on-pack.