UK Responsible Person & Cosmetic Product Notification (SCPN)

What's included in your UK Responsible Person service

Who needs a UK Responsible Person

• EU brands selling into England, Scotland and Wales
• US, Asian and other overseas brands entering Great Britain
• Amazon UK and online sellers needing UK Responsible Person details
• UK importers of EU-made cosmetics who prefer to designate a specialist
• Private-label owners whose manufacturer is outside the UK

3-year plan vs renewing every year (1–3 products)

What the UK Responsible Person service does not include

• Preparing your CPSR. We confirm a valid safety report exists and matches the formula you sell before we notify, but writing it is a separate order: a CPSR for a single beauty product or the All-in-One CPSR, PIF, SDS & UK/EU Notification.
• Compiling a new PIF. We hold and update your file. If you have none yet, start with a Product Information File.
• The EU and Northern Ireland. Both follow the EU regulation and need a Responsible Person established in an EU member state or Northern Ireland, plus CPNP notification. For those markets, add our EU Responsible Person service.
• Products outside your tier. Your plan covers the number of products in the band you buy: 1–3, 4–10, 10+, or unlimited on the 5-year plan.

How it works

1. Choose your plan Select a 1, 2, 3 or 5-year term and the number of products you need covered.
2. Written designation You appoint Phoenix in writing and we accept in writing, as Article 4 of the GB regulation requires.
3. Fill our Product Information Document Send your INCI formula with percentages, raw-material SDS, CPSR Parts A and B, label artwork and a product image.
4. Checks and SCPN submission We check formula, CPSR and labels against Annexes II–VI and Article 19, then notify each product on SCPN.
5. Confirmation and ongoing cover You receive your confirmations; we then handle updates, complaints and authority contact for your plan term.

What is a UK Responsible Person for cosmetics?

A UK Responsible Person for cosmetics is the person or company, established in the United Kingdom, that carries legal responsibility for a cosmetic product placed on the market in Great Britain. Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, as amended for GB by Schedule 34 to SI 2019/696, says a cosmetic may not be placed on the GB market unless such a person exists for it, and Article 13 makes that person notify the product before sale.

Who holds the role depends on how the product reaches Great Britain. A UK manufacturer is the Responsible Person for products it makes in the UK. A UK importer, including one bringing in goods from the EU, is the Responsible Person for what it imports by default. Either can designate a UK-established person by written mandate, and a brand with no UK base does the same; the designation takes effect when that person accepts in writing. Phoenix Safety Consultants takes on the role for you and becomes your contact with the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) and Trading Standards.

UK Responsible Person duties under the GB cosmetics regulation

The Responsible Person answers for each product's compliance in Great Britain (Article 5). For every product we cover, that means:

• Safety assessment in place: confirming a CPSR has been completed under Article 10 and Annex I and reflects the formula actually on sale.
• SCPN notification: submitting the Article 13 notification to the Secretary of State through SCPN before the product is placed on the GB market, and updating it when the product changes.
• Product Information File: holding the PIF where inspectors can reach it, for 10 years from the market release of the final batch (Article 11).
• Label particulars: checking the Article 19 details: Responsible Person name and address, batch code, precautions and ingredient list.
• Ingredient restrictions: screening the formula against the Annex II bans, Annex III limits and the permitted colourants, preservatives and UV filters in Annexes IV–VI.
• Serious undesirable effects: reporting them to OPSS without delay, which UK guidance takes to mean within 30 calendar days of anyone in the company being informed (Article 23).
• Corrective action: coordinating withdrawals or recalls and cooperating with Trading Standards and OPSS.

Do EU brands need a UK Responsible Person?

Yes, to sell in Great Britain. Article 4 of the GB regulation asks for a person established in the UK, and a company based only in an EU member state does not qualify. Without a UK Responsible Person:

• There is no SCPN notification, because only the Responsible Person can submit one
• Selling in Great Britain would be unlawful, since Article 4 keeps the product off the market
• Marketplaces and retailers can refuse or remove listings that lack UK Responsible Person details
• Trading Standards can take enforcement action under the Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013

Label transition to 31 December 2027:

GOV.UK guidance allows a seven-year transition, from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2027, during which a GB label may show the EU Responsible Person's name and address instead of the UK one. Only the label wording is transitional: a UK Responsible Person must already exist and notify every product on SCPN, and UK details are needed on labels once the transition ends.

Northern Ireland:

Northern Ireland follows the EU cosmetics regulation, so products for the NI market are notified on the CPNP by a Responsible Person established in Northern Ireland or an EU member state. Products lawfully placed on the NI market can also be sold in Great Britain, but the NI Responsible Person must still notify them on SCPN.

Legal framework

• Article 4, Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 as amended for GB by Schedule 34 to SI 2019/696 — no cosmetic may be placed on the GB market without a Responsible Person established in the UK; an importer is the Responsible Person by default, and a UK-established person can be designated by written mandate, accepted in writing
• Article 5 — the Responsible Person's obligations for each product
• Article 10 and Annex I — no product reaches the GB market without a completed safety assessment and CPSR
• Article 11 — the Responsible Person retains the PIF, open to inspection, for a decade from the final batch
• Article 13 — electronic notification to the Secretary of State before the product is placed on the market, made through SCPN
• Article 19 — mandatory label particulars, among them who the Responsible Person is and where they are based
• Article 23 — duty to report serious undesirable effects to the Secretary of State
• Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013 — enforcement and offences in the UK

Official sources:

• Article 4: Responsible person, GB version (legislation.gov.uk)
• Schedule 34 to SI 2019/696: GB amendments to the cosmetics regulation (legislation.gov.uk)
• Cosmetics regulation guidance for Great Britain (GOV.UK)
• Submit a cosmetic product notification: guidance (GOV.UK)

Why brands appoint Phoenix as their UK Responsible Person

• Established in the UK — meets the Article 4 requirement for selling in Great Britain.
• SCPN handled end to end — data checks, submission, confirmation and later updates.
• One contact for UK authorities — OPSS and Trading Standards enquiries, inspections and incident reports come through us.
• Your PIF kept ready for inspection — maintained and accessible for the length of your plan.
• Trusted by 1,400+ brands over 14 years, including The Beard Struggle, The Essence Vault, Parfum Fabric and Junaid Jamshed.

Appoint Phoenix as your UK Responsible Person today. Pick your plan length and product tier above, or message us on WhatsApp on +44 7346 009332 if you also need EU or Northern Ireland cover.

Frequently asked questions