Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

A Guide to United States Cosmetic Products Compliance Requirements

Published

Author(s)

Lisa M. Benson, Karen Reczek

Abstract

This guide addresses the compliance requirements for basic cosmetics and soap. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) defines cosmetics as "articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, or sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body ... for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance" (FD&C Act, sec. 201(i)). Cosmetic products may include skin moisturizers, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail polishes, eye and facial make-up preparations, cleansing shampoos, permanent waves, hair colors, and deodorants, as well as any substance that is intended for use as a component of a cosmetic product.
Citation
NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR) - NISTIR 8178r1
Report Number
NISTIR 8178r1

Keywords

cosmetic products, compliance requirements

Citation

Benson, L. and Reczek, K. (2021), A Guide to United States Cosmetic Products Compliance Requirements, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8178r1, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=932157 (Accessed December 26, 2024)

Issues

If you have any questions about this publication or are having problems accessing it, please contact reflib@nist.gov.

Created March 26, 2021, Updated November 29, 2022