Product Categories
Body Care & Hygiene
Compliance for body washes, lotions, deodorants and soaps. High-frequency use and the antiperspirant borderline shape the assessment.
Body care covers high-volume, high-frequency products, and the safety assessment reflects that pattern of use: a body lotion applied daily over a large surface area produces a different exposure profile from an occasional treatment.
Preservation and pH
Water-based washes and lotions need a validated preservative system, confirmed by challenge testing to ISO 11930, and a pH appropriate to the skin. We confirm both, alongside stability across the declared shelf life. Exfoliating washes and scrubs also fall under the EU microplastics restriction, Regulation (EU) 2023/2055 (entry 78 of REACH Annex XVII): plastic microbeads have been prohibited since October 2023, and other intentionally added synthetic polymer microparticles must be out of rinse-off products by 17 October 2027 and leave-on products by 17 October 2029.
Deodorants and the antiperspirant line
Deodorants are cosmetics, but antiperspirants that act by reducing perspiration sit close to the boundary with medicinal or other regulated products, and aluminium salts have been the subject of detailed SCCS review. We assess the formula against the current position and make sure the function claimed matches the regulatory category the product is sold in. True soaps carry their own labelling nuances, which we address in the label review.
Relevant services
CPSR
From £70 · 2 to 3 days
The Cosmetic Product Safety Report is the safety assessment required under Article 10 and Annex I of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 before a cosmetic product may be placed on the UK or EU market. Prepared and signed by a qualified safety assessor.
Learn more →Testing
From £75
Stability, microbiology, photoprotection and analytical testing carried out in our three in-house laboratories. Analytical work is not contracted out; results pass directly to the assessor preparing your CPSR.
Learn more →Labelling
From £195 · from receipt of artwork
Independent review of packaging artwork against Article 19, and of product claims against the six Common Criteria of Regulation (EU) 655/2013. Label review £195; per-claim review from £125; substantiation dossiers from £1,495.
Learn more →Frequently asked questions
What is a CPSR?
A Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR) is the safety assessment required by Article 10 and Annex I of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 before a cosmetic product is placed on the UK or EU market. Annex I sets out two parts: Part A, the cosmetic product safety information (composition, physico-chemical and microbiological characteristics, stability, exposure and the toxicological profile of each substance), and Part B, the safety assessment, in which a qualified assessor states and reasons the conclusion on safety. It is the pivotal scientific document held within the Product Information File.
What is a Preservative Efficacy Test (challenge test)?
A Preservative Efficacy Test, also called a challenge test, demonstrates that a product's preservative system controls microbial growth across its life. Oxford Biosciences performs it to ISO 11930 for £165: the product is inoculated with the five specified challenge organisms (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans and Aspergillus brasiliensis), and viable counts are enumerated over a 28-day window against the Criterion A or B log-reduction thresholds. Typical turnaround is six weeks, reflecting the protocol duration plus enumeration and reporting.
How are cosmetic claims regulated?
Cosmetic claims are regulated as statements of fact, not marketing copy. Article 20 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and Commission Regulation (EU) No 655/2013 establish six Common Criteria that every claim must meet: legal compliance, truthfulness, evidential support, honesty, fairness, and informed decision-making. Evidence must exist before a claim is published and remain on file. Oxford Biosciences reviews claims per claim (£125, minimum five) and prepares formal Claims Substantiation Dossiers suitable for the Product Information File and for production to a competent authority or the Advertising Standards Authority.