Specialised Products
CBD & Hemp Cosmetics
Safety assessment and compliance for CBD and hemp cosmetics, where the source of the CBD, the THC content and the narcotics rules in Annex II decide whether a product is lawful at all.
CBD and hemp cosmetics sit at the meeting point of cosmetic law and controlled-drugs law, which is why they need careful handling rather than enthusiasm.
Lawful at all: source and THC
Entry 306 of Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 prohibits narcotics, which captures CBD prepared as an extract, tincture or resin of cannabis. The determinant of compliance is therefore the source: synthetic CBD, or CBD obtained from parts of the plant not covered by the Single Convention, can be acceptable with the right documentation, while extract from the flowering tops cannot. In the UK, the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 apply in parallel, and the product must contain no controlled substance such as THC. Cannabis sativa seed oil is a separate, generally accepted ingredient, but it is not CBD and must not be labelled as such. We verify the source, require certificates of analysis, and test for THC.
A moving target
This area is being harmonised. On 19 November 2025 the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety issued a preliminary opinion (SCCS/1685/25) considering CBD safe in dermal and oral cosmetics up to 0.19 per cent, with THC impurities up to 0.00025 per cent, open for comment until 21 January 2026. We assess each product against the current position and flag where a pending change will affect it.
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 →Responsible Person
From £149 · per product, per year
Oxford Biosciences acts as your Responsible Person in the UK and the EU under a single quality management system, holding the regulatory obligation: PIF maintenance, SCPN and CPNP notification, labelling oversight, and cosmetovigilance.
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 testing does Oxford Biosciences provide?
Oxford Biosciences operates three in-house laboratories supporting Annex I, sections 3 to 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Services include microbiology (Preservative Efficacy Test to ISO 11930, Microbial Content Test to ISO 17516:2014), real-time and accelerated stability and packaging compatibility, photoprotection testing (in vitro and in vivo SPF and UVA-PF under the current ISO series), and analytical work including heavy metals by ICP-MS, antioxidant capacity by the DPPH assay, and GC/MS constituent analysis of essential oils, hydrolats and perfumes. Analytical work is not contracted out.
What is a Responsible Person?
Every cosmetic product placed on the EU or UK market must have a Responsible Person established within that jurisdiction. Under Articles 4 and 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, the Responsible Person is the legal entity that holds the regulatory obligation for the product: it maintains the Product Information File, makes the CPNP or SCPN notification, oversees labelling, and handles cosmetovigilance and contact with the competent authority. It is not simply a postal address. Oxford Biosciences acts as Responsible Person in both the UK and the EU under a single quality management system.