Labelling and symbols on cosmetic products
Labeling is one of the key points of our cosmetic product, and it must contain minimum information such as the batch or quantity. Article 19 of Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009 indicates the minimum information that must appear on the labelling.
There is information not required on the labelling, such as the address of the distributor or the manufacturer of the packaging.
For the list of ingredients, there are guidelines that must be followed. Before starting to list the ingredients, the list must be specifically indicated with the English term INGREDIENTS. The ingredients are then stated in decreasing order of concentration up to 1% and with INCI nomenclature, helping the consumer to identify the components, regardless of the origin of the product.
There are other mandatory requirements within the list of ingredients, such as the declaration of perfume, which must be made as “Parfum”, or flavors (as in the case of toothpaste), that must be made as “Aroma”. The allergens present in cosmetic products must be declared when they exceed concentrations of 0.001% in leave-on products, and concentrations above 0.01% for rinse-off products. Finally, colorants must be indicated with their Color Index.
Continuing with the labeling, we are going to look at the most common symbols on cosmetic products.
The symbols of the CLP regulation (regulation relating to the classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures, or by its acronym in English Classification, Labelling and Packaging) do not affect cosmetics, so warning symbols or the flammable pictogram do not have to appear.
Other symbols that are not mandatory include the “Möbius Loop”, which indicates that the packaging can be recycled, or the “Tidyman” symbol, which encourages us to dispose of packaging responsibly, or the symbols that indicate what type of plastic the packaging uses.
Mandatory symbols include the hourglass for products with a minimum shelf life of less than 30 months, or the PAO (Period After Opening) symbol for products whose minimum shelf life is greater than 30 months.
Additionally, other symbols may appear on the labeling, among them we can find: The nominal content symbol, which is used when following the average filling system in manufacturing. The symbol of additional information if, for reasons of size, everything that should appear on the label does not fit. And finally, the ecoembes symbol, which is mandatory for companies in Spain since it indicates compliance with the law on packaging and packaging waste.
In Azierta, we have experts with extensive experience in cosmetic products, who can offer you personalized advice for your cosmetic business, solving any questions, and collaborating in detail, with the success of your project. Contact us!
