Cosmetics are currently regulated in Canada through Health Canada’s Cosmetic Regulations (which falls under the Food and Drugs Act).  Under Sections 30 and 31 of the Cosmetic Regulations, it is mandated that a Cosmetic Notification must be submitted to Health Canada informing of the sale of the cosmetic that is:

• Submitted by the manufacturer, importer or a designated party acting as an agent on their behalf (the “Notifier” of the Cosmetic Notification)
• Submitted within 10 days after the cosmetic product is first sold in Canada.

As per the Cosmetic Regulations (as specified in section 30), the following information is required on the Cosmetic Notification Form (CNF):

• Brand Name that cosmetic will be sold under,
• Function of the cosmetic,
• Form of the cosmetic,
• Name and Address of the Notifier,
• Name and Address of the Site Information of the product (Manufacturer, Importer, Distributor, Agent),
• List of Cosmetic ingredients formulating the cosmetic product (with percentage concentration stated as within specific concentration ranges designated on the CNF),
• Copy of the Label potentially (dependent on the ingredients and their requirements).

As stated in Section 31 of the Cosmetic Regulations, if the cosmetic undergoes any modifications of the information requested in Section 30 (including cancellation), the Notifier of the original cosmetic notification is to submit within 10 days of the change a Cosmetic Amendment or Discontinuation of Sale Notification outlining the change (along with any applicable revised document or information).  If Health Canada requests any information, the Notifier is required to respond to their inquiries. 

There has been a recent announcement by Health Canada that they are exploring the creation of a self-serve portal for cosmetic notifications that allows them to be submitted as before (and for all types), but now with better tracking, being able to filter submissions based on product type or year, as well as manage the contact information of the Notifier.

In terms of timelines of when this self-serve portal for cosmetic notifications can be implemented (if its creation does move forward as Health Canada admits), it will be a multi-year project, which Health Canada will keep interested and affected stakeholders informed of as appropriate.

In the meantime, Health Canada is actively seeking feedback on the creation and development of the self-serve portal for cosmetic notifications and have started a consultation period that ends on October 1, 2024.  Health Canada is specifically interested in knowing from stakeholders whether they have any concerns or challenges they envision by implementing a self-serve portal and want to know of any specific circumstances that they may arise.  Health Canada is also interested in any functions or options stakeholders would like to have included with the self-serve portal.

Health Canada has prepared a survey to receive stakeholder feedback and can be contacted at the email address of cosmetics@hc-sc.gc.ca for any questions about the survey. At dicentra, we are adept with the nuances and intricacies that span products classified as cosmetics in Canada.  Our team of regulatory experts can guide your cosmetic products from beginning stages of formulation all the way through to their Notification with Health Canada and review of their labels to allow it to be marketed compliantly in Canada.  Contact dicentra today to discover how we can assist in bringing your cosmetic product to the Canadian market.