Methods of registering cosmetic formulations are changing. This column will desribe the online registration processes for the United States and Canada.
Methods of registering cosmetic formulations are changing—from the historic method of fi lling out hard copy forms and mailing them in, to submitting data digitally via the Internet. In December 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched an online system for the voluntary registration of cosmetic formulations. The FDA’s program is simple and it’s easy to use. In January 2006, Health Canada began beta testing a mandatory cosmetic registration program online. As Canada’s program is mandatory within 10 days of placing a cosmetic on their market, it greatly simplifi es the task of registering because it is faster. Inputting the data directly online saves time by decreasing the need to have paper submissions typed in. What a welcome relief to be able to register electronically.
The FDA offers two forms of Voluntary Cosmetic Registration Programs (VCRP)—site registration or the location where the cosmetic is manufactured; and formulation registration, which is the qualitative formulation of the product. To register, participants can log onto the FDA’s home page, www.FDA.gov, then choose the cosmetics link in the left navigational bar. Once on the cosmetics home page, visitors will find the VCRP button on the upper right side of the page, which links to the registration site at: www. cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-regn.html.
