Article 19 of the EU Regulation on Cosmetic Products stipulates what information should be available to consumers on the packaging of cosmetic products. Some information must be included in the product container, such as a tube container, and any outer packaging, such as a cardboard container that a tube is packed into. Some of the information accompanying cosmetic products sold in Finland must be in Finnish and Swedish.
The table below indicates the markings that packaging must include and shows what information must be in Finnish and Swedish.
| Requirements | Product container | Outer packaging | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name and address of the responsible person | X | X | |
| Country of origin | * | * | *AlkupeCountry of origin only has to be included with products imported from outside EU/EEA |
| The nominal content in Finnish and Swedish | X | X | Excluding packages with containing less than 5g or 5ml, free samples and single-application packs |
| Date of minimum durability if minimum durability is no more than 30 months, in Finnish and Swedish | X | X |
- marking or the phrase “parasta käytettynä ennen”/“bäst före utgången av” (“best used before the end of”) and the date of durability (dd/mm/yyyy or mm/yyyy) |
| Durability period after opening if minimum durability is over 30 months, i.e. PAO mark (Period After Opening) | X | X |
Symbol of an opened container and useful life in months or years. Month can be abbreviated as the letter M |
| User instructions in Finnish and Swedish | X | X |
If including necessary instructions and warnings in the product container and outer packaging is not possible for practical reasons the information must be included in an accompanying label, tape or card. A separate symbol in the outer packaging or product container is used to indicate that instructions can be found separately |
| Batch number | X* | X | *Batch number need appear only on the outer packaging |
| Function of the cosmetic product in Finnish and Swedish | X* | X* | *Unless the function is clear from the product’s presentation |
| List of ingredients ** | X | Need appear only on the outer packaging. The information should be presented using the name of the ingredient as indicated in the list in Article 33 (INCI). If an ingredient does not have an INCI name, a name included in a generally accepted nomenclature should be used. The list must be preceded by the term “ingredients”. ** See also List of ingredients |
Note these in the list of ingredients
Exceptions
If presenting necessary information in the packaging is not possible for practical reasons the information must be included in an accompanying label, tape or sticker. The following symbol in the outer packaging is used to indicate that information can be found separately.
If it is not possible to present the information of a small product in a label attached to the product, this information must appear on a notice in immediate proximity to the container in which the cosmetic product is exposed for sale.
Perfumes and aromatic substances must be marked with the word “parfum” or “aroma”, with the exception of the substances listed in Annex III which should be marked with their INCI name.
The term “(nano)” must be included after the INCI name of nanomaterials included in the list of ingredients.
The use of substances classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction (CRM substances) in cosmetics is prohibited (categories 1A, 1B or 2 according to Part 3 of Annex VI of the CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008). CMR substances may be used in cosmetic products by way of exception if the conditions laid down in sections 1 and 2 of Article 15 of the EU Regulation on Cosmetic Products are met.
