Speaker: Birgit Huber, IKW

● Safety for consumers is a requirement for cosmetic manufacturers all over the world. However, the legal requirements differ. Before marketing a product, manufacturers and distributors of cosmetic products are required to subject every product to a comprehensive assessment of its safety for human health. EU law requires that a personally responsible safety assessor for the safety of a cosmetic product has to be appointed. When preparing a safety assessment, the expert must review all existing basic requirements of cosmetic legislation (substance regulations, labelling provisions etc.). “The cosmetic product safety assessment shall be carried out by a person in possession of a diploma or other evidence of formal qualifications awarded on completion of a university course of theoretical and practical study in pharmacy, toxicology, medicine or a similar discipline, or a course recognized as equivalent by a member state.“

● However, such an education is not sufficient as a rule. For the competent assessment of the safety of cosmetic products, interdisciplinary knowledge is required. Together with IKW and university experts, DGK e. V. developed continuing education courses for safety assessors for the first time in 1998 which is currently updated. Details can be found under www.safetyassessor.info