CPSR Certification UK: Costs, Process, and When You Need One

There is no such thing as "CPSR certification" in the sense of a certificate you apply for. A CPSR — Cosmetic Product Safety Report — is the safety report that Article 10 of the UK Cosmetics Regulation requires for every cosmetic "prior to placing a cosmetic product on the market", and its safety assessment (Part B) must be carried out by someone holding a university qualification in pharmacy, toxicology, medicine or a similar discipline. If you make soap, bath bombs, lip balms, moisturisers or anything else applied to the body and sell it in Great Britain, you need one for each product before your first sale — whether you sell on Etsy, at craft fairs or from your own website.

This guide explains the CPSR process step by step: what it is, what it costs, how to prepare, and how to avoid common mistakes that delay or inflate the assessment.

CPSR at a Glance

Question	Answer	Source
What is it?	A safety report on one specific cosmetic formulation, in two parts: Part A (safety information) and Part B (the assessor's safety assessment)	Cosmetics Regulation Annex I
When do you need it?	Before the product is placed on the GB market	Article 10(1)
Who signs Part B?	A person with a university qualification in pharmacy, toxicology, medicine or a similar discipline (or a recognised equivalent)	Article 10(2)
Is it a certificate?	No — it is a report you keep, not a certificate you display	Article 10; Annex I
Where does it live?	In the Product Information File, kept for ten years after the last batch is placed on the market	Article 11(1)-(2)
Is it the same as SCPN?	No — SCPN is a separate notification you also need	Article 13
What if you skip it?	Breaching Article 10 is a criminal offence	Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013, regs 12-13

This covers the CPSR requirement for GB (Great Britain). Northern Ireland follows the EU Cosmetics Regulation. This is not legal advice.

What a CPSR Actually Is

A CPSR is not a certificate or badge. It's a formal safety assessment document, prepared and signed by a qualified cosmetic safety assessor, that confirms your specific product formulation is safe for its intended use on the body.

The report has two parts:

• Part A compiles factual data: your complete formulation, ingredient concentrations, stability data, microbiological test results, toxicological profiles, and packaging information
• Part B is the assessor's professional judgement — they evaluate the Part A data and conclude whether the product is safe

Only a qualified assessor can write Part B. Article 10(2) requires "a diploma or other evidence of formal qualifications awarded on completion of a university course of theoretical and practical study in pharmacy, toxicology, medicine or a similar discipline, or a course recognised as equivalent". You can prepare much of the Part A documentation yourself, which can reduce what the assessor has to charge for.

The CPSR is required under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products, retained in UK law. Under the Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013, breaching Article 10 is an offence carrying, "on summary conviction, … a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or … imprisonment not exceeding three months, or … both", and on conviction on indictment "a fine not exceeding £20,000 or … imprisonment not exceeding twelve months, or … both".

Who Needs a CPSR

You need a CPSR for any product that meets the legal definition of a cosmetic: a substance or mixture intended to be placed in contact with the external parts of the human body (skin, hair, nails, lips, teeth, mouth) for the purpose of cleaning, perfuming, changing appearance, protecting, or keeping in good condition.

Products requiring a CPSR:

• Bar soap, liquid soap, shaving soap
• Bath bombs, bath salts, bath oils
• Lip balm, lip scrub
• Body butter, body oil, moisturiser
• Shampoo, conditioner
• Face masks, serums, toners
• Deodorant
• Toothpaste, mouthwash

Products that do NOT need a CPSR:

• Scented candles, wax melts, reed diffusers — these are home fragrance products regulated under CLP, not cosmetics
• Cleaning products — not applied to the body for cosmetic purposes
• Room sprays — ambient fragrance, not body application

If your product falls under CLP rather than the Cosmetics Regulation, see our guide to soap and cosmetics safety assessments for more on the boundary between the two regimes. If you make a mix of regulated and unregulated craft products, our broader guide to the laws on selling homemade crafts in the UK covers the full set of obligations — business registration, insurance, online selling rules, and tax — that sit alongside the cosmetics-specific CPSR requirement. For a step-by-step compliance walk-through aimed at first-time home makers — covering CPSR alongside HMRC registration, the Responsible Person role, SCPN notification, labelling, and insurance in the right order — see our guide to selling cosmetics from home in the UK.

What a CPSR Costs

CPSR pricing varies by product complexity, assessor experience, and how much preparation you've done.

Typical cost factors:

• Simple products (cold-process soap, anhydrous balm, bath salt with a short ingredient list) sit at the lower end of the pricing spectrum
• Complex products (emulsions with many active ingredients, products with essential oil blends requiring detailed allergen analysis) cost more
• Batch or range pricing — many assessors offer discounts when you submit several products with the same base formula (e.g., one soap recipe in different fragrances)

What drives costs up:

• Submitting incomplete Part A documentation (the assessor charges for compiling it)
• Products with unusual or poorly-documented ingredients
• Rush turnaround requests
• Reformulations after the initial assessment (some assessors charge the full rate again, others offer amendment pricing)

How to keep costs down:

• Prepare your Part A documentation thoroughly before approaching an assessor
• Use well-documented ingredients with established safety profiles
• Submit product ranges together rather than one at a time
• Ask about amendment pricing upfront — you will reformulate eventually

Get quotes from at least three assessors. Ask exactly what's included: Part A + Part B, or Part B only? How many rounds of questions are included? What does a reformulation update cost?

For a fuller breakdown of what drives cosmetic safety assessment costs — and where makers typically overpay — see our dedicated cost guide.

The CPSR Process Step by Step

1. Finalise Your Formulation

Your formulation must be complete and locked before the assessment starts. Every ingredient must be listed with its INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) name, CAS number, function, and exact percentage in the finished product.

If you change the formulation after the CPSR is issued, you'll need the report updated — so don't submit a formulation you're still tweaking.

2. Compile Part A Documentation

Part A requires:

• Quantitative formulation — the exact percentage of every ingredient
• Ingredient specifications — INCI names, CAS numbers, purity/grade
• Supplier Certificates of Analysis (CoA) and Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for each ingredient
• Manufacturing process — cold process, hot process, melt and pour, etc.
• Stability data — evidence the product remains stable over its intended shelf life
• Challenge test results (for products containing water) — proof the preservative system prevents microbial growth. Anhydrous products may be exempt depending on the assessor's judgement.
• Packaging details — what the product is packaged in and how it interacts with the formulation

The more complete your Part A, the faster and cheaper the assessment. Missing documentation is the single most common cause of delays.

3. Choose an Assessor

The assessor must be qualified under the Cosmetics Regulation — holding a university-level qualification in toxicology, pharmacy, medicine, or a similar discipline. Ask for their qualifications and check they regularly assess products in your category.

When comparing assessors:

• Do they have experience with handmade/small-batch products? Some assessors specialise in industrial cosmetics and may not be practical for craft-scale production
• What's included in the quote? Part A compilation, Part B assessment, or both?
• What's the turnaround time? Standard is typically several weeks
• What does a reformulation update cost?

4. Submit and Wait

Once you submit your Part A documentation, the assessor may come back with questions — clarifications about ingredients, requests for additional test data, or queries about your manufacturing process. Respond promptly; delays here extend the timeline.

5. Receive Your CPSR and File It

The completed CPSR becomes part of your Product Information File (PIF). You must maintain the PIF for 10 years after the last batch of that product is placed on the market.

6. Notify via SCPN

Before placing the product on the GB market, submit a notification through the SCPN service. This is separate from the CPSR — you need both.

Common Mistakes

Submitting too early. If your formulation isn't final, you'll pay for reassessment when you change it. Lock the formula first.

Skipping challenge testing. Products containing water (or exposed to water during use) typically need a Preservative Efficacy Test. Submitting without this data delays the assessment.

One CPSR per fragrance variant. If you make the same soap in 10 fragrances, each variant may need its own CPSR (different fragrance oils mean different allergen profiles). Ask your assessor about range assessments to manage costs.

Confusing CPSR with CLP. A CPSR is for cosmetics (applied to the body). CLP labels are for chemical mixtures not applied to the body (candles, diffusers). Some products need one, some need the other — rarely both. See our guide to which regulation applies.

After the CPSR: Ongoing Obligations

The CPSR is not a one-time exercise. You have continuing duties:

• Maintain the PIF — keep it updated with any manufacturing changes, and make it available to enforcement authorities on request
• Report serious undesirable effects — Article 23 requires the Responsible Person and distributors to notify them "without delay"; the GOV.UK guidance says SUEs "should be notified to OPSS" on the UK SUE form. See also OPSS's cosmetics guidance
• Meet cosmetic labelling requirements — your cosmetic label must include all required elements. Use our free Cosmetic Labelling Checker to verify your labels are complete, or review the full cosmetic labelling requirements for every element the regulation demands
• Update for reformulations — ingredient changes, concentration changes, or manufacturing process changes may require a CPSR update
• Renew testing — stability and challenge test data may need refreshing periodically, especially if you change suppliers

Common Questions

Is there such a thing as CPSR certification?

Not as a certificate. A CPSR is a safety report on your product, required by Article 10 of the UK Cosmetics Regulation and signed off by a qualified safety assessor. You keep it in your Product Information File; you do not display it or renew it on a fixed date.

Who can carry out the CPSR safety assessment?

Someone with "a diploma or other evidence of formal qualifications awarded on completion of a university course of theoretical and practical study in pharmacy, toxicology, medicine or a similar discipline", or a course recognised as equivalent (Article 10(2)).

How long do I keep a CPSR?

It sits in the Product Information File, which Article 11(1) says "shall be kept for a period of ten years following the date on which the last batch of the cosmetic product was placed on the market".

Do I need a CPSR and an SCPN notification?

Yes — they are separate. The CPSR is the safety assessment; SCPN is the notification to the Secretary of State before the product is placed on the market.

Do candles or wax melts need a CPSR?

No. They are not cosmetics. They fall under GB CLP and need a CLP label if they classify as hazardous.

Sources

• GOV.UK — Regulation 1223/2009 and the Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013 (Great Britain)
• GOV.UK — Making Cosmetic Products Available to Consumers in Great Britain
• GOV.UK — Submit a Cosmetic Product Notification
• GOV.UK — Consumer Products: Cosmetics
• legislation.gov.uk — UK Cosmetics Regulation, Article 10 (safety assessment)
• legislation.gov.uk — UK Cosmetics Regulation, Article 11 (product information file)
• legislation.gov.uk — Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013, regulation 13 (penalties)