Documents checklist
What documents do I need for a CPSR?
Most of what you need comes from your suppliers, and you probably have some of it already. Here is each document, why we need it and where to find it. You do not need everything before you start: send what you have.
Start here
Three things we need to know
What is in it?
Your exact recipe and the documents from your suppliers.
What is it for?
How it is used, who uses it and where it goes on the body.
How is it made and packed?
Your method, your packaging and any tests you have done.
Send what you have. We will tell you if your product needs anything more.
The checklist
Your document checklist
Needed to start: for every productIf it applies: depends on your recipeHelpful extra: only if your product needs it
Needed to start, for every product
Your full recipe (formula)
Every ingredient with its exact percentage and INCI name (the ingredient name used on labels), adding up to 100%.
Get it from: Your own recipe notes
Why: The whole assessment is built on it. Exposure and limits are worked out from these numbers.
Supplier specifications
The technical data sheet or specification for each ingredient. A certificate of analysis (CoA, the test results for your batch) helps too.
Get it from: Your supplier's website or by email
Why: Shows exactly what each ingredient is, how pure it is and what impurities it may contain.
Safety data sheets and safety information
The safety data sheet (SDS, sometimes still called MSDS) for each ingredient where one exists, and any other safety information for ingredients without one.
Get it from: Your supplier, usually as a download
Why: Gives hazard and toxicology information the assessor needs. Not every cosmetic ingredient has an SDS.
Draft label
Your label artwork or text, including all faces of the pack.
Get it from: Your design file or a clear photo
Why: We review it for safety and ingredient information. Your Responsible Person stays responsible for the final label.
Packaging details
What the pack is made of, its size and how it opens: jar, pump, tube, tin or wrap.
Get it from: Your packaging supplier
Why: Packaging affects contamination, stability and how much product is used.
How it is used
Where it goes on the body, leave-on or rinse-off, who it is for and how often.
Get it from: You
Why: Exposure depends on use. A face serum and a bar of soap are very different.
Manufacturing method
How you make it: what goes in when, temperatures, cure time and any checks you do.
Get it from: Your own notes
Why: Helps us understand the finished product, and you need it for your Product Information File anyway.
Needed if it applies to your recipe
Fragrance and essential oil documents
For a fragrance blend: its current IFRA certificate for your product type and its allergen breakdown. For a single essential oil: the supplier's composition and allergen information, plus IFRA documents where available.
Get it from: Your fragrance or essential oil supplier
Why: Shows how much you can safely use in your product and which allergens go on the label.
Challenge test
A lab test of how well the preservative protects the product (preservative efficacy test), usually for products that contain water.
Get it from: An independent testing lab
Why: Shows the product resists contamination once it is opened and used.
Helpful extras: we tell you if we need them
Stability and compatibility
Evidence the product stays safe and the same in its pack over its shelf life. Useful for every product, including balms and oils.
Get it from: Your own observations, tests or a lab
Why: Supports the shelf life or period after opening on your label.
Microbiological results
Batch test results, or notes on why your product is low risk.
Get it from: A lab, or your own records
Why: Supports the microbiology section of the report.
By product type
Which extra evidence does my product need?
A rough guide to what is usually asked for. The final call is made in your assessment.
| Product | Challenge test | Extra checks |
|---|---|---|
| Soap (bar) | Usually not | Lye calculation, superfat |
| Creams and lotions | Usually needed | Stability, packaging |
| Body oils and balms | Usually not | Rancidity, citrus oils |
| Shampoo bars | Usually not | Surfactant levels, pH |
| Serums and face care | If water-based | Actives, stability |
| Lip balms | Usually not | Colourants, flavours |
| Bath bombs and salts | Usually not | Colourants, glitter |
| Deodorants | If it contains water | Baking soda level |
Asking your supplier
A message you can copy
Not sure what to ask for? Copy this and send it to each supplier.
I am preparing a cosmetic product safety assessment. Please could you send the current technical specification, the INCI or composition breakdown and the safety data sheet for this ingredient. For a fragrance or essential oil, please also send the allergen breakdown and IFRA certificate or other fragrance safety information.
Jargon buster
What the terms mean
- CPSR
- Cosmetic Product Safety Report: the signed safety assessment for your product
- INCI
- The standard ingredient names used on cosmetic labels, such as Sodium Olivate for saponified olive oil
- SDS
- Safety data sheet from your supplier (older name: MSDS)
- IFRA
- The fragrance industry's safety standards
- Challenge test
- A lab test of how well a product resists contamination
- PIF
- Product Information File: the records you must keep for each product
- SCPN
- The free GOV.UK service for notifying cosmetics before you sell them
- Superfat
- Extra oil left in soap beyond what the lye turns into soap
- Responsible Person
- The UK-based person legally accountable for the product: usually you, if you make and sell it under your own brand
Sending them
What happens to your documents
Gather
Use this checklist to collect your formula and supplier documents.
Send
Send what you have when orders open. PDFs, spreadsheets and clear photos are fine.
We check
Anything missing comes back as one list, normally the same working day.
Assess
Signed CPSR the next working day for eligible products, once complete.
Questions
Documents: common questions
What if my supplier will not give me a specification or SDS?
Ask again and explain it is for your cosmetic safety assessment. Good cosmetic suppliers provide these documents as a matter of course. Without them an ingredient may not be assessable, and switching supplier can be the quickest fix.
Do I need to send samples?
No. A CPSR is a paper-based assessment of your recipe and your supplier documents, so we do not need samples of your product.
What if I am missing something?
That is common. Send what you have and we will explain what else is needed. After a first check, anything missing comes back as one list, normally the same working day for submissions received during working hours.
Do I need a challenge test?
Usually for products that contain water, such as creams, lotions and water-based serums. Usually not for water-free products such as bar soap, balms and oils. It is not required by law for every product: your assessment decides what evidence is needed.
Can I use a recipe from a course or book?
Yes, as long as you send the exact recipe you make, with percentages, your own supplier documents and your method. Whether you are allowed to sell a recipe someone else wrote is a separate question for you to check.
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