Annel

19/08/2026

🌿 Tea Tree Oil: same ingredient, two regulatory paths.
The EU and Great Britain are currently taking different regulatory approaches to Tea Tree Oil.
🇪🇺 EU: Repr. 1B has been proposed, while SCCS has considered four specific cosmetic uses safe at defined concentrations. The final legislative outcome is still pending.
🇬🇧 Great Britain: the final HSE Agency Opinion did not retain the proposed Repr. 1B classification, although the issue may be reassessed in the future.
For cosmetic brands operating across both markets, the key message is simple:
EU and GB requirements must be monitored separately.
Swipe through for the key differences.

31/07/2026

Can a green leaf become an environmental claim? 🌿

From 27 September 2026, new EU rules on environmental claims and sustainability labels will apply under Directive (EU) 2024/825 – Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition.

For cosmetic brands, this means that it may no longer be enough to review only the exact wording used on the packaging.

An environmental message can be explicit or implied. Colours, leaves, water drops, images of nature, symbols, badges and even product or brand names may contribute to the overall impression that a product is better for the environment.

But where should the line be drawn between branding and an environmental claim?

Over the coming weeks, in our new series GREEN CLAIMS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE, we will examine practical examples:

🌱 Is “eco-friendly formula” still acceptable?

🏷️ Can a brand create its own sustainability badge?

🌍 Can a cosmetic product be called “carbon neutral” if the claim is based on offsetting?

📦 Does “90% recycled plastic” refer to the bottle, the cap or the entire packaging?

📅 Is publishing a sustainability target for 2030 or 2035 enough?

Some answers may appear straightforward. Others may surprise you.

Which example should we examine first?

14/07/2026

🚨 Is your cosmetic portfolio affected by the new EU Regulation?

The EU has published Regulation (EU) 2026/909, introducing new restrictions and requirements for 12 cosmetic ingredients and ingredient groups.

Among the affected ingredients are:

🌿 Fragrance ingredients
• Citral (including Geranial & Neral)
• Benzyl Salicylate
• Acetylated Vetiveria Zizanioides Root Extract & Root Oil

🎨 Hair dyes
• HC Blue No. 18
• HC Yellow No. 16
• HC Red No. 18
• Hydroxypropyl-p-Phenylenediamine

🧪 Other key changes
• Triphenyl Phosphate – prohibited
• Water-soluble Zinc Salts
• Aluminium
• DHHB (UV filter)
• Ammonium Silver Zinc Aluminium Silicate (preservative)

📅 Key deadlines:
✔ 1 January 2027 – products must no longer be placed on the EU market if they do not comply.
✔ 1 July 2028 – non-compliant products can no longer remain on the market.

👉 Swipe through to see what has changed.

Over the next few days we'll explain every change in a simple, practical way.

08/07/2026

🚨 Omnibus VI is coming – and it's bringing major changes to the EU Cosmetics Regulation.

One of the biggest changes concerns CMR ingredients.

The new political agreement aims to make the regulatory process:
✔ more predictable
✔ more science-based
✔ more transparent

What does this mean for cosmetic brands?
✨ clearer rules for CMR derogations
✨ defined timelines for SCCS assessments
✨ new criteria for assessing alternative ingredients
✨ greater regulatory certainty while maintaining a high level of consumer safety

⚠️ The agreement has been reached, but the new legislation still needs to be formally adopted before it enters into force.

At Annel, we'll be breaking down the most important changes over the coming weeks—so stay tuned.

28/05/2026

False nails, false eyelashes and beauty accessories may look like simple beauty products.

But from a regulatory perspective, they can be much more complex.

A false nail may be an article, not a cosmetic.

A lash adhesive may require CLP review.

A magnetic eyeliner may still be a cosmetic.

A beauty kit may contain several legal product types in one box.

This is where many brands make costly mistakes.

In the final article in our borderline classification series, we explain when nail, lash and beauty accessory products may trigger cosmetic, GPSR, CLP, REACH or mixed compliance routes.

This matters especially for brands importing private label products into the EU or UK.

Supplier declarations are not enough.
Marketplace categories are not enough.
The correct classification should be confirmed before packaging, import and launch.

Read the article in the first comment.

Need help confirming whether your nail, lash or beauty accessory product follows the cosmetic, general product or chemical route?

Annel can help you review the classification and identify the documentation needed before launch.

25/05/2026

A children’s cosmetic product does not need to change formula to create regulatory risk.

Sometimes play value is enough.

A lip gloss kit, bath bomb with a hidden figurine, children’s make-up palette or colour-changing bath product may look like a simple cosmetic product.

But if it encourages play, includes a surprise element, resembles a toy or is presented as a creative activity, the regulatory route may change.

The formula may still be cosmetic.

The presentation may not.

For brands selling children’s products in the EU, UK and USA, this matters before packaging, claims, Amazon listings or social media copy are approved.

In borderline products, “fun” is not just a marketing word.

It can become a classification signal.

19/05/2026

MoCRA has changed how cosmetic brands should prepare for the U.S. market.

For EU brands, CPSR and PIF documentation are valuable, but they are not an automatic passport to the United States.

Before launch, brands should review:

Responsible Person roles
U.S. Agent requirements
facility registration
product listing
safety substantiation
colour additives
adverse event reporting
SPF and OTC drug risks
cosmetic claims

EU compliance is a strong starting point.
But it should be adapted to the FDA system before products are listed, shipped or sold in the U.S.

Read our new article on MoCRA compliance and the key differences between EU and U.S. cosmetic regulation.

Link in the first comment.

13/05/2026

Beauty from within sounds like skincare.

But if the product is swallowed, the regulatory route changes.

Collagen drinks, gummies, capsules and “hair, skin and nails” supplements often use cosmetic language. They promise glow, beauty support or healthier-looking skin.

However, ingestion changes everything.

An ingestible product cannot rely on cosmetic classification simply because the promise is aesthetic. It may need to be assessed under food law, food supplement rules, nutrition and health claims requirements, Novel Food rules or even medicinal product classification.

That means CPSR, PIF and cosmetic notification are not enough if the product is not legally a cosmetic.

Read the article in the first comment.

06/05/2026

EU Omnibus VI Regulation (EU) 2026/909 introduces new restrictions for 12 cosmetic ingredients, including fragrance substances, UV filters, oral care ingredients, hair dye substances and selected metal compounds.

For cosmetic brands, this may mean more than a simple regulatory update.

The key question is:

Are your formulas, raw material files, PIFs and CPSRs still compliant?

The new rules may require:

✓ formula portfolio review
✓ raw material documentation checks
✓ zinc and aluminium concentration recalculations
✓ PIF and CPSR updates
✓ stock and transition deadline planning

Key dates include 1 January 2027 for placing non-compliant products on the EU market and 1 July 2028 for making them available on the market.

We have prepared a practical overview of the affected ingredients, deadlines and compliance actions for cosmetic companies.

If your products contain any of the affected ingredients, Annel can support ingredient compliance checks, PIF review and CPSR updates for the EU and UK markets.

04/05/2026

When does an “antibacterial” claim stop being cosmetic?

Claims such as antibacterial, antiseptic and antiviral can change how a product is classified. In practice, one phrase on pack or in an online listing may move a product from cosmetic into biocide or even medicine.

In our new article, we explain:

why the UK and EU do not approach this risk in the same way
why “kills 99.9% bacteria” can be treated very differently across markets
why Amazon and cross-border e-commerce create extra classification risk
why antiviral claims are especially sensitive

If your product sits close to the cosmetic-biocide borderline, this is not just a wording issue. It is a regulatory and commercial one.

Read the article here:

Learn when antibacterial, antiseptic and antiviral claims can move a product from cosmetic into biocide or medicine across the EU, UK and USA.