Compliance · 12 August 2026
What Is a CPSR and Why Your Cosmetic Product Needs One
The CPSR is the safety report every cosmetic sold in the EU legally requires. What it contains, how long it takes, what it costs and how to get one.
If you plan to sell any cosmetic product in the European Union, three letters will define your launch: CPSR. The Cosmetic Product Safety Report is the document that legally stands between your formula and the EU market, and understanding it early will save you weeks of delay and thousands in duplicated testing.
The short definition
The CPSR is a scientific safety assessment required by EU Regulation 1223/2009 for every cosmetic product placed on the EU market. It must exist before the product is sold, it must be signed by a qualified safety assessor, and it must be kept in the Product Information File (PIF) for 10 years. No CPSR, no legal sales, in any of the 27 EU countries.
What’s inside: Part A and Part B
Part A: Safety Information
The data dossier: quantitative composition of the formula, physico-chemical characteristics, microbiological quality, stability and challenge test results, packaging compatibility, normal and foreseeable use, exposure calculations and the toxicological profile of every ingredient. Part A is built from real test data, which is why it goes fastest when the manufacturer who formulated and tested the product also compiles it.
Part B: Safety Assessment
The professional judgement: a qualified safety assessor (typically a toxicologist or pharmacist with recognised credentials) evaluates Part A and signs a reasoned conclusion that the product is safe for human health under normal and reasonably foreseeable use, including any warnings that must appear on the label.
Common misconceptions
- “One CPSR covers my whole line.” No. Every product, and every variant with a different formula, needs its own report.
- “I can sell first and sort the paperwork later.” No. The CPSR must exist before the product is placed on the market. Authorities can request the PIF at any time, and border controls do check.
- “My supplier’s certificate of analysis is enough.” No. A CoA describes a batch; the CPSR assesses the safety of the whole product concept, formula and packaging.
- “It’s only needed for ‘risky’ products.” No. A lip balm needs a CPSR exactly like a retinol serum does.
How long does it take, and what does it cost?
With test data ready, a CPSR typically takes 2 to 4 weeks. The real timeline driver is testing: stability and challenge tests can take 8 to 12 weeks, which is why smart projects run them in parallel with production preparation. Costs depend on formula complexity and how much data already exists. When your manufacturer formulates the product, most of Part A’s data is already on their desk, which compresses both cost and time.
CPSR, PIF, CPNP: how the three fit together
Think of it as a chain: the CPSR is the safety heart, the PIF is the complete dossier that contains it, and the CPNP notification is the final registration in the EU portal that makes the product sellable. Our guide to launching a skincare brand in Europe shows where each step falls in the full timeline.
The easiest way to get a CPSR
Work with a manufacturer whose laboratory formulates to EU standards from the first sample and prepares the CPSR, PIF and CPNP in house. At Laboratori Italiani, compliance documentation is part of the same project as your formula: primary data, one accountable team, no consultant queue. Details on our EU compliance services.
Next step
Let’s build your brand
Complete the Product / Formula Brief and our team will send you a tailored R&D development offer: the first step from idea to finished, market-ready product.
R&D from €600 to €5,000 · fully deducted from production · MOQ 500 to 1,000 units · 60 to 90 day timeline