Example of a Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR) with cosmetic products and labels, illustrating what a finished CPSR looks like for UK and EU cosmetic compliance.

september 9, 2026 Syed Muhammad Shamuel Shees

CPSR Example: What a Finished Cosmetic Product Safety Report Looks Like

The short answer

A finished CPSR is a signed document in two parts. Part A holds ten sections of safety information: the formula, physical and chemical characteristics, microbiological quality, impurities and packaging, use, exposure to the product, exposure to each substance, toxicological profiles, undesirable effects and other data. Part B holds the assessor's conclusion, the label warnings, the reasoning with margins of safety, and the assessor's credentials and signature.

Key takeaways

Every CPSR must follow the Annex I structure: ten Part A information headings and four Part B assessment elements. If a report does not, it is not compliant.
The Part B conclusion is a single, explicit statement that the product is safe under normal and reasonably foreseeable use, with any conditions.
The margin of safety table and the label warnings are the two Part B outputs that change what you can do and what you must print.
A qualified safety assessor's name, qualification and signature are mandatory; an unsigned or anonymous report has no legal value.
The example below is a realistic, redacted walkthrough of a body oil CPSR, not a template to copy, because every report is product specific.

Makers searching for a CPSR example are usually about to commission their first report and want to know what they are paying for, or have received one and want to know whether it is any good. Both are sensible instincts. The format of a Cosmetic Product Safety Report is fixed by Annex I of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and its UK equivalent under the Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013 together the backbone of UK cosmetics regulation so a genuine CPSR is recognisable at a glance, and a document that does not follow the format will not satisfy the Office for Product Safety and Standards or a marketplace compliance team.

Because real reports contain confidential formulas and assessor data, we cannot publish one. Instead this article walks through a realistic, redacted example for a fictional product, a rosehip and jojoba facial oil from an imaginary brand, section by section, explaining what appears under each heading, what good looks like, and the red flags that mark a weak report.

The example product

Hollow Lane Botanicals is a fictional UK maker of a leave on facial oil: a blend of rosehip seed oil, jojoba oil, squalane and vitamin E with a low level of essential oils, in a 30 millilitre glass dropper bottle, sold online. It is anhydrous, so it contains no water and no preservative. The report below is what a signed single variant CPSR for this product contains.

Phoenix prepares reports like this as a single variant CPSR or, for ranges, a multiple variant CPSR.

Cover page

The cover identifies the product name and variant, the Responsible Person's name and address, the report reference and version, the date, and the name of the assessing organisation. It states that the report is prepared in accordance with Annex I of the Cosmetics Regulation. A cover with no version or date is the first red flag, because a CPSR must be kept updated and a reader needs to know which version they hold.

Part A: Cosmetic Product Safety Information

A1. Quantitative and qualitative composition

A table listing every ingredient by INCI name, trade name and supplier, its function, and its exact percentage in the finished product, totalling one hundred percent. For the facial oil this shows rosehip seed oil at around forty percent, jojoba oil, squalane, tocopherol, and the essential oils each at a fraction of a percent, with the essential oils further broken down into their constituents where relevant to the assessment. Approximate percentages or ranges are a red flag; the assessment cannot be done on an approximate formula.

A2. Physical and chemical characteristics and stability

The appearance, colour, odour, viscosity and pH where relevant of the raw materials and the finished product, and the stability information. For an anhydrous oil there is no pH, and stability centres on oxidation: the report records the oxidative stability of the oils, the role of the tocopherol, the packaging's protection from light, and the observations supporting the shelf life claimed. For an emulsion this section would carry accelerated and real time stability data.

A3. Microbiological quality

The microbiological specification of the raw materials and finished product and the preservation challenge. For a water free oil the assessor documents why microbial growth is not supported and why no preservative or challenge test is required, while noting the packaging and use precautions that keep water out. For a water containing product this section holds the challenge test results and the microbial limits, which is the typical picture for emulsions and other water-based formulations.

A4. Impurities, traces and packaging material

The purity of the raw materials, any traces of prohibited substances such as heavy metals with the evidence that they are technically unavoidable and safe, and the relevant characteristics of the packaging. The example records the supplier specifications for each oil, notes the pesticide and heavy metal statements on the certificates of analysis, and describes the amber glass dropper bottle and its compatibility with oils.

A5. Normal and reasonably foreseeable use

How the product is meant to be used and how it foreseeably might be: a few drops massaged into the face once or twice daily, with the foreseeable misuse of application near the eyes or on broken skin, and use by pregnant users given the essential oils. This section sets up the exposure calculations that follow and justifies the warnings that appear later.

A6. Exposure to the cosmetic product

The quantitative exposure to the product: the site of application, surface area, amount applied per use, frequency, duration of contact, target population and route. The example uses the standard daily amount for a face product from the scientific guidance, a leave on duration, adult users, and dermal exposure, and notes that the product is not intended for children.

A7. Exposure to the substances

The exposure to each ingredient, derived from the product exposure and the ingredient concentration, giving the systemic exposure dose for every substance with a systemic endpoint. This is the data the margins of safety in Part B are built on, and the table here mirrors the one that appears there.

A8. Toxicological profile of the substances

The longest section. For each ingredient, and for the constituents of the essential oils, the relevant toxicological endpoints: acute toxicity, irritation and corrosivity, skin sensitisation, dermal absorption, repeated dose toxicity with the NOAEL and its source, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity and phototoxicity where relevant. For the facial oil the essential oil constituents dominate, with limonene, linalool and geraniol assessed for sensitisation, and any citrus content assessed for phototoxicity. A report whose toxicological profile is a single generic paragraph per ingredient, or that cites no sources, is weak.

A9. Undesirable effects and serious undesirable effects

Any data available on undesirable effects from the product or similar products, and the arrangements for monitoring them after sale. For a new product this typically records that no data exist yet and describes the maker's system for logging complaints and reactions.

A10. Information on the cosmetic product

Any other relevant information, such as published studies on the finished product or similar formulations, consumer testing, and confirmation that the claims are consistent with the assessment. For the example it notes the supplier substantiation for the moisturising and nourishing claims and confirms no medicinal claims are made.

Part B: Cosmetic Product Safety Assessment

B1. Assessment conclusion

A clear statement that the product is safe for human health when used under normal and reasonably foreseeable conditions of use, or safe subject to specified conditions, or not safe. The example concludes the facial oil is safe for adult use as directed, subject to the essential oil levels not exceeding those assessed and the warnings in B2 appearing on the label. An unconditional conclusion with no reference to the conditions that support it is a red flag.

B2. Labelled warnings and instructions of use

The exact warnings and instructions the assessor requires on the label. For the example: avoid contact with the eyes, discontinue use if irritation occurs, not recommended during pregnancy given the essential oils, keep out of reach of children, store away from direct sunlight, and the allergen names that must appear in the ingredient list. This section is the one that directly changes your artwork, so check it against your label before printing.

B3. Reasoning

The scientific explanation of the conclusion: the margin of safety table for each ingredient with a systemic endpoint, the sensitisation assessment against IFRA and regulatory limits, the phototoxicity assessment, the microbiological reasoning, the stability reasoning, and the assessor's judgement on any uncertainties. In the example the margins of safety are all well above one hundred, the essential oil constituents sit below the leave on face limits, and any citrus is confirmed as steam distilled or below the phototoxicity threshold. Reasoning that consists of a sentence saying all ingredients are within legal limits, with no calculations, is the clearest sign of a report that will not survive scrutiny.

B4. Assessor's credentials and approval

The assessor's name, address, evidence of qualification in pharmacy, toxicology, medicine or a similar discipline, the date and their signature, confirming they are a qualified safety assessor. The regulation names these qualifications, so a report signed by a business rather than a named qualified person, or with no qualification stated, does not meet the requirement. Ask to see this page before you pay.

Phoenix reports are signed by named, qualified assessors, and our client verifications page lets you check that.

Appendices

Behind Part B the example carries the supporting documents referenced in Part A: supplier Safety Data Sheets and specifications, certificates of analysis, the IFRA certificates and allergen statements for the essential oils, the packaging specification, and the stability observation record. These are filed with the report in the Product Information File so that every statement in Part A can be traced to its evidence.

How the example changes for a range

If Hollow Lane Botanicals launched three facial oils differing only in their essential oil blend, the sensible route is a multiple variant CPSR. The structure is identical, but A1 carries a composition table for each variant, A8 assesses the union of all essential oil constituents, B2 lists the warnings and allergen declarations variant by variant, and B3 shows the margin of safety and sensitisation assessment for whichever variant is the worst case for each endpoint. The conclusion in B1 names every variant covered. This matters when you read a report: a multiple variant CPSR that assesses only the base and waves the variants through, without variant specific composition and allergen tables, has not actually assessed the variants.

How long is a real CPSR?

For a simple anhydrous oil like the example, the report itself typically runs to twenty to forty pages, with appendices adding as many again. A water based emulsion with a preservative system, challenge test and full stability data runs longer, and this is generally true of emulsions across the category. A multiple variant report covering a range of scents or shades adds tables rather than pages. Length is not a quality measure in itself, but a two page document calling itself a CPSR is not one.

Red flags in a weak CPSR

Missing sections. Any of the ten Part A headings or four Part B elements absent or merged.
Approximate formula. Percentage ranges, or ingredients with no percentage.
No margins of safety. Reasoning that asserts safety without calculations or sources.
No named assessor. Signed by a company, or by a person with no stated qualification.
No version or date. A report that cannot be placed in time cannot be shown to be current.
Generic toxicology. Identical boilerplate under every ingredient.
Label warnings missing. B2 empty or vague, leaving you unsure what to print.
Delivered in days with no questions asked. A competent assessor asks about use, packaging and claims; silence is a warning.

How to read the report you receive

Start with B1 and B2: the conclusion and the label requirements, because these decide what you can sell and what you must print. Then check B4 for the assessor's qualification and signature. Then read A1 against your own formula to confirm the assessed product is the product you make, including the exact essential oil levels. Then skim B3 for any ingredient with a margin of safety in the low hundreds, because that is the constraint on future changes. File the whole report, with its appendices, in section two of your Product Information File, and diarise a review date.

If a report you have been given does not look like this, a regulatory consultation can review it before you rely on it, and a label review confirms your artwork carries the B2 warnings correctly.

Phoenix services mentioned in this article

Official sources and legislation

About the author

Phoenix Safety Consultants is a cosmetic compliance consultancy with offices in London, Estonia and Pensacola, Florida. Our safety assessors and toxicologists prepare Cosmetic Product Safety Reports, Toxicological Risk Assessments, Product Information Files, Safety Data Sheets and UK and EU notifications for brands of every size. Talk to the team on WhatsApp at +44 7346 009332 or at Phoenixcompliance2023@gmail.com.

Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal advice. Regulations change and product decisions depend on your exact formulation, claims and market. Have your product assessed by a qualified professional before sale.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a CPSR look like?

A signed report in two parts. Part A contains ten sections of safety information about the product and ingredients; Part B contains the assessor's conclusion, the required label warnings, the scientific reasoning including margins of safety, and the assessor's qualifications and signature.

Can I download a real CPSR example?

Real reports contain confidential formulas and assessor data, so they are not published. This article walks through a realistic redacted example section by section so you know what to expect and what to check.

What are the ten sections of Part A?

Composition, physical and chemical characteristics and stability, microbiological quality, impurities and packaging, normal and foreseeable use, exposure to the product, exposure to the substances, toxicological profile of the substances, undesirable effects, and other information on the product.

What is in Part B of a CPSR?

Four elements: the assessment conclusion, the labelled warnings and instructions of use, the scientific reasoning including margins of safety, and the assessor's credentials, date and signature.

Who has to sign a CPSR?

A named person holding a recognised qualification in pharmacy, toxicology, medicine or a similar discipline. A report signed only by a company, or with no qualification stated, does not meet the requirement.

How long should a CPSR be?

Typically twenty to forty pages for a simple product plus appendices, longer for water based products with challenge and stability data. Length is not the test; completeness against the Annex I structure is.

Is a CPSR a template I can fill in myself?

No. The structure is fixed but the content is a scientific assessment that only a qualified safety assessor can carry out and sign. Understanding the structure helps you judge a report, not replace one.

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