If, overall, their principles are the same as anywhere else, the texts governing cosmetics in Canada still contain a few specificities… At the International Days organized by Cosmed on June 10, 2016, Frédéric Lebreux and Sébastien Pirson, of consulting and services firm Biorius, presented Canada’s cosmetics regulations and the essential aspects to be aware of to export there.
Belgian firm Biorius
is specialized in cosmetics scientific and regulatory affairs and helps companies in this industry place their products on different global markets (Canada, the USA, Brazil, Europe, India, China, ASEAN, Japan, etc.).
The presentation made by its two representatives was focused on the essential aspects of Canadian regulations to be known on a daily basis if one intends to export there.
General framework
The spirit of Canadian laws is the same as most cosmetics regulations in the world, as they involve three main objectives:
• Protecting consumers from hazardous products and making sure the products placed on the market are safe
• Guaranteeing fair commercial practices
• Providing consumers with the information they need to make well-informed purchase decisions
It still remains that the Canadian law is quite different from the European Cosmetics Regulation, despite harmonization attempts like the TTIP or the work done by the ICCR.
The essential texts
Frédéric Lebreux mentioned the main ones:
• The law on food and drugs (Food and Drugs Act) and the resulting regulations on cosmetics (Cosmetics Regulations)
• The law and regulation on consumer goods packaging and labelling (Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act)
• The Canadian law on environmental protection …
