No licence — but real obligations
Great Britain does not license cosmetics. Instead, the UK Cosmetics Regulation sets a documentation- and notification-based framework: a named Responsible Person, a safety assessment, a Product Information File, and a pre-market notification to the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS). Get those in place and you can sell; miss them and enforcement works through correction, withdrawal and recall — so "no licence" does not mean "no rules".
The Responsible Person
Every cosmetic sold in GB must have a Responsible Person (RP) with a UK-established address (a PO box or mail-forwarding address does not count). The RP can be the UK manufacturer, the UK importer, a distributor selling under its own brand, or a UK party formally appointed in writing by an overseas maker.
Worth stating plainly for anyone using a 3PL: a fulfilment partner that simply stores, picks and ships your products is not your Responsible Person. That legal role stays with you or whoever you appoint. We handle compliant storage, lot tracking and — where stock was made for another market — UK-compliant relabelling; the RP duties and safety assessment remain yours.
The safety report and Product Information File
Before a product goes on sale it needs a safety assessment, written up as a Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR) by a qualified professional (a degree in pharmacy, toxicology, medicine or similar). That report sits inside a Product Information File (PIF) — composition, the safety report, the manufacturing method with a GMP statement, and evidence for any claimed effect. The PIF must be kept for 10 years after the last batch was placed on the market and produced for Trading Standards on request.
Notifying OPSS (SCPN)
Before a product is made available in GB, the Responsible Person must notify it to OPSS through the Submit Cosmetic Product Notifications (SCPN) service. Notification covers the product details, the RP's name and address, any nanomaterials, and the frame formulation used by poison centres. This is notification, not approval — but selling without it is non-compliant.
Labelling requirements
A compliant GB cosmetic label must show: the Responsible Person's name and address; the nominal weight or volume; a date of minimum durability or the period-after-opening symbol; a batch/identification number; the function of the product; and the full ingredients list (with any nanomaterials marked). Labelling must be in English, though other languages can be added alongside.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a licence to sell cosmetics in the UK?
No. There is no licensing scheme for cosmetics in Great Britain. Instead, every product must have a UK-established Responsible Person, a safety assessment (CPSR) held in a Product Information File, notification to OPSS via SCPN before sale, and compliant labelling. The obligations are real even though there is no licence to apply for.
Who is the Responsible Person, and can my 3PL be it?
The Responsible Person is the UK-established party legally accountable for a cosmetic's compliance — usually the UK manufacturer, importer, or an appointed UK representative. A fulfilment provider that only stores and ships your products is not automatically your Responsible Person; it can only take that role if formally appointed in writing or if it sells under its own brand. The duty stays with you unless you arrange otherwise.
What is a CPSR?
A Cosmetic Product Safety Report is the written safety assessment every GB cosmetic needs before sale, produced by a qualified professional (a degree in pharmacy, toxicology, medicine or similar). It is kept inside the Product Information File, which must be retained for 10 years after the last batch was placed on the market.
How do I notify a cosmetic product in the UK?
The Responsible Person notifies the product to OPSS through the Submit Cosmetic Product Notifications (SCPN) service before it is made available in GB. It requires a GOV.UK One Login and details of the product, the RP, any nanomaterials, and the frame formulation.