Canada & the CNF4 min read
Why Health Canada Bounces a CNF and How to Avoid It
The most frequent reasons a Cosmetic Notification Form gets returned, and the specific fix for each one before you refile.
January 29, 2026Read
Fragrance Allergens4 min read
How to Read a Supplier Allergen Declaration Sheet
A walkthrough of a typical fragrance allergen declaration, so the percentages and INCI names actually tell you something useful.
January 28, 2026Read
Global Markets3 min read
Japanese Cosmetic Labeling and Standard Ingredient Names
Japan labels cosmetics in Japanese using its own standard ingredient names, which don't map one-to-one with INCI the way you'd expect.
January 28, 2026Read
European Union (CPNP)4 min read
Microbiological Limits Your CPSR Must Prove for the EU
Your EU safety assessor needs microbial evidence for Part A of the CPSR. Here's what that actually covers and why a challenge test matters.
January 28, 2026Read
United States (MoCRA)4 min read
The MoCRA Good Manufacturing Practices Rule Coming Soon
MoCRA mandates a formal cosmetic GMP rule from FDA. It isn't final yet, but small makers who start now won't be scrambling later.
January 28, 2026Read
Australia (AICIS)3 min read
When to Re-Categorise a Repeat AICIS Introduction
AICIS categorisation isn't a one-time decision. Volume changes, new suppliers, or formula tweaks can push you into a different category.
January 28, 2026Read
Ingredient Guides3 min read
Zinc Oxide in Cosmetics: INCI, CAS, and When It Becomes a Drug
Zinc oxide (CAS 1314-13-2) works fine as a cosmetic pigment, until your claim language turns it into an OTC drug ingredient.
January 28, 2026Read
Soap & Handmade4 min read
Activated Charcoal Soap: INCI Name and Claim Limits
How to list activated charcoal correctly on a soap label and which detox-style claims quietly turn your bar into a cosmetic.
January 27, 2026Read
Ingredient Guides4 min read
Glyceryl Stearate: A Workhorse Nonionic Emulsifier
A practical profile of glyceryl stearate and its SE grade, covering INCI naming, CAS numbers, and how each behaves in an oil-in-water emulsion.
January 27, 2026Read
Selling Channels3 min read
Pre-Order and Crowdfunded Cosmetics: When to Notify
Crowdfunding pledges and pre-orders muddy the '10 days after first sale' rule. Here's how to pin down the actual trigger date.
January 27, 2026Read
Ingredient Guides4 min read
Sodium Hydroxide (Lye): How to List It on Soap Notifications
Why finished cold process soap lists saponified oils instead of lye, plus the INCI name, CAS number, and handling notes makers ask about most.
January 27, 2026Read
Labeling & Claims4 min read
Using Before and After Photos Without Overclaiming
A before-and-after photo can imply a drug-level claim your product was never meant to make. Here's how the caption fixes or breaks that.
January 27, 2026Read
Australia (AICIS)4 min read
Import Permits Versus AICIS Obligations at the Border
Separating customs and biosecurity import controls from AICIS chemical duties so cosmetic makers stop conflating the two systems.
January 26, 2026Read
Australia (AICIS)4 min read
Importing Cosmetics Into Australia: Your First Steps
The earliest AICIS and border obligations a new importer of finished cosmetic products into Australia needs to sequence correctly.
January 26, 2026Read
Canada & the CNF4 min read
Picking the Right Product Function Code on Your CNF
How to choose the correct product function classification on a Cosmetic Notification Form and why the wrong pick invites regulator scrutiny.
January 26, 2026Read
Prohibited & Restricted4 min read
Thioglycolic Acid in Relaxers and Perms: Hotlist Rules
The concentration and pH conditions that govern thioglycolates in waving and straightening products under Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist.
January 26, 2026Read
Global Markets4 min read
Why CAS Numbers Matter in Global Cosmetic Filings
How Chemical Abstracts Service numbers let regulators in different countries recognize the same substance despite completely different naming systems.
January 26, 2026Read
Australia (AICIS)3 min read
Do Free Samples and Testers Count as an AICIS Introduction
Handing out free samples or testers in Australia can still count as an AICIS introduction. Here is when it does and when it doesn't.
January 25, 2026Read
Ingredient Guides4 min read
Glycolic Acid: AHA Concentration and pH Limits to Watch
Glycolic acid's INCI name and CAS number, and how AHA concentration paired with pH determines its cosmetic notification status.
January 25, 2026Read
Prohibited & Restricted3 min read
Hotlist vs the FDA's Prohibited and Restricted List
A US-compliant cosmetic formula can still fail in Canada. Here is how the Hotlist and the FDA's restricted ingredient rules actually differ.
January 25, 2026Read
Canada & the CNF4 min read
How Your CNF Gets Used When Health Canada Orders a Recall
Tracing the path from a filed Cosmetic Notification to a product recall, and why accurate CNF data speeds the whole process up.
January 25, 2026Read
Prohibited & Restricted4 min read
Selenium Sulfide and Anti-Dandruff: A Hotlist Boundary
Why selenium sulfide anti-dandruff formulas rarely qualify as cosmetics under Health Canada's rules, and where the Hotlist draws that line.
January 25, 2026Read
Australia (AICIS)3 min read
AICIS and Sunscreen: Where the Regulatory Line Sits
Sunscreen in Australia is usually a therapeutic good, not a cosmetic, yet AICIS still governs the ingredients behind it. Here is how the two regimes connect.
January 24, 2026Read
INCI Names & CAS Numbers3 min read
Alcohol, Alcohol Denat, and SD Alcohol on a Filing
Alcohol, Alcohol Denat., and SD Alcohol are three different INCI declarations. Here is how to tell which one your supplier actually shipped.
January 24, 2026Read