“Every year Canadians purchase over $5.4 billion of cosmetics and personal care products. From personal hygiene and beauty products like deodorant, shampoo, skin care products, make-up and fragrances to health-related products such as sunscreens and cavity-fighting toothpastes, cosmetics and personal care products are an undeniably important part of our everyday lives.
The Canadian cosmetics and personal care products industry is highly responsive to consumer demand creating an average of over 7,000 new products each year to meet the changing needs and concerns of consumers.”1
All cosmetics entering into Canada must meet all the requirements of the Food and Drugs Act and the Cosmetic Regulations. This means that Manufacturers and Importers bringing product into Canada must notify Health Canada within 10 days after they first sell a cosmetic in Canada. If this doesn’t happen, the product could be denied entry or removed from sale. Importers and manufacturers must also advise on any changes that affects the information on the Cosmetic Notification Form. These could include the following:
- Modification of the cosmetic formulation
- Change of product name
- Discontinuation of sale
- New company name, address or contact information
All cosmetics are not created equal
The purpose of the Cosmetic Regulation under the Food and Drugs act is to help protect consumers from health risks associated with the use of cosmetics marketed in Canada.
Although your product may be approved through another governing agent such as the FDA, this does not mean it will be approved in Canada. Each country has rules and regulations which need to be followed.
A completed Cosmetic Notification Form provides specific product information, including:
- Address & contact person for the company
- Purpose of the cosmetic
- Form of the cosmetic (e.g. gel, solid, liquid, etc)
- Ingredients used in cosmetic
- Concentrations of the ingredients
A submission of a Cosmetic Notification Form does not necessarily mean your product is approved for sale in Canada, that the product is classified as a cosmetic or that the product complies with all legislative requirements. It is the responsibility of the Manufacturers and importers to make sure their cosmetics meet all the requirements of the Cosmetic Regulations and Food and Drugs Act.
It is important to note that certain ingredients are prohibited and/or restricted for use in Cosmetic Products in Canada. If a cosmetic contains an ingredient which is prohibited or restricted, the manufacturer may be advised to:
- Remove the ingredient from the formulation
- Reduce the concentration of the ingredient to an acceptable level
- Provide evidence that the product is safe for its intended use
- Confirm that the product is labelled as required
- Confirm that the product is sold in a child-resistant package
Depending on the response of the manufacturer, the cosmetic may be found to be unacceptable for sale in Canada.
How Source Nutraceutical can help?
All of the requirements and regulations may seem overwhelming and exhausting. Source Nutraceutical can assist and will advise on three key components of the cosmetic regulatory framework: Mandatory notification of all cosmetic products, safety of ingredients and products, and product labelling. Call or email us for a quote today!
