Regulations for Cosmetics E-Commerce that you must follow
The DGCCR (General Directorate for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs, and Fraud Control / EU) has maintained since 2018 that brands must adhere to online selling regulations for cosmetics. A list of ingredients must be provided to consumers which must even be displayed on websites selling cosmetic products online.
A list of Ingredients (INCI list) must be included:
Regulations that have been in place since 2009 state that cosmetic product labeling must include the list of ingredients preceded by the term “ingredients”.
As retailers have more than 15000 SKUs from hundreds of brands it is extremely time-consuming to source all of these ingredients from each brand. At Skin Match Technology we measured an average of 10min per Product. So for 15000 products, this would take a retailer 312 working days, almost a full year.
Skin Match Technology has built its own database where Brands have access to their product data and retailers can easily connect via a simple code. The result is automated ingredient lists for all products with minimum effort.
Clean beauty and transparency trends grow the ingredient list and therefore the list can also be extended with an INCI explainer. Our effort in cultivating transparent relationships between products and consumer in order to encourage trust.
💡Pro Tip: Try the Skin Match Technology clean beauty icons which verify the clean beauty status of your products, this way your consumers get the information they need.
Before consumers agree to purchase your cosmetics you must provide the consumer with information like the essential characteristics of the goods.
In Legal terms, this means that before the purchase is final you must provide consumers with pre-contractual information like the essential characteristics of the products, for example, product function, composition, precautions, and nominal quantity. The consumer must have access to this info. The Skin Match technology INCI explainer achieves this:
The DGCCRF has observed that these regulations are not properly adhered to which is discrimination to the detriment of consumers buying online compared to consumers buying in a physical shop who are able to take note of the INCI composition on the product’s packaging before completing their purchase.
Brands that breach these regulations are at risk of administrative fines as the offense falls on the grounds of misleading the consumer and going against the consumer code.
Manufacturers, importers, and distributors of online cosmetic products are responsible for displaying the INCI composition of the product.
This can be done in three simple ways:
Publishing a legible photo of the product packaging on which the INCI list appears
Provide contact information for customer care that will have to give the information via Telephone or Email
Displaying the INCI list in full in a product description section on the Product Detail Page. This info must be kept up to date regularly.
Skin Match Technology offers a simple and efficient solution to help retailers avoid any sort of penalty and most importantly to ensure that your consumers can trust you. Book a demo with us and learn more about our INCI explainer.
💡Did you know: Skin Match Technology has the largest database of ingredients in the world, get it for your brand by booking a demo with us here
Compliance with Online Selling Regulations for Cosmetics will be checked by DGCCRF officials. Online selling regulations for cosmetics must be followed in order to ensure that consumers can trust your brand. The DGCCRF is responsible for ensuring Online Selling Regulations for Cosmetics on behalf of consumers. Links and Resources: DGCCRF / REGULATION (EC) No 1223/2009 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
