Voluntary Registration Program Marks 10 Years

Dec. 1, 2015 will mark the 10th anniversary of the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) online Voluntary Cosmetic Registration Program (VCRP).

Since this voluntary system launched in 2005, there are almost 2,700 active online accounts and almost 44,000 product formulations on file.

The VCRP applies only to cosmetic products being sold to consumers in the US. It does not apply to cosmetic products for professional use only, such as products used in beauty salons, spas or skin care clinics. It also does not apply to products that are not for sale such as hotel samples or free gifts.

Further, the VCRP is not part of an import notification system. Firms importing products considered to be solely cosmetics in the US are not required to register with FDA, and a registration number is not required for importing cosmetics into the US.

According to FDA, the VCRP assists FDA in carrying out its responsibility to regulate cosmetics. FDA uses the information to evaluate cosmetic products on the market. Because product filings and establishment registrations are not mandatory, voluntary submissions provide FDA with the best information available about cosmetic products and ingredients, their frequency of use, and businesses engaged in their manufacture and distribution.

Information from the VCRP database also has been used by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), an independent, industry-funded panel of scientific experts, to assist the CIR Expert Panel in assessing ingredient safety and determining priorities for ingredient safety review. FDA representatives attend CIR meetings in a non-voting capacity.