Kick off 2026 with a competitive edge at PACK EXPO East. Register now!
Get a jump on your 2026 goals at PACK EXPO East. Put projects in motion, accelerate timelines and solve challenges—all in one trip to Philadelphia.

Proposed legislation could impact cosmetic packaging

Following FDA’s recent push to monitor health claims on functional foods, this proposal calls for full disclosure of ingredients, reporting of adverse health effects and random testing for pathogens or contaminants.

Pw 3443 Webkiss

According to the article on website Eye On FDA, members of congress Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) have proposed The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 (H.R.5786). This sweeping proposal would give the FDA new authority to regulate everything from lotions and lipsticks to deodorants and fragrances.

The $50 billion cosmetics industry, one of the least regulated markets, uses roughly 12,500 unique chemical ingredients in personal care products—the vast majority of which have never been assessed for safety by any publicly accountable body, says Eye on FDA.

Key provisions include:
• Ingredient labels on cosmetics
• Post-market testing (random sample testing for pathogens or contaminants)
• Market restrictions (voluntary recalls and power to halt distribution)
• Submission of list of ingredients to the FDA, including perfume
• Mandatory adverse health effect reporting

For packaging designers, the label on each package of cosmetics would be required to list the name of each ingredient, including the components of a fragrance--which I believe can include hundreds of ingredients! Quite the labeling dilemma…

To get your daily dose of global packaging news, follow me on Twitter.

The AI revolution in packaging robotics is here
Robots that see variations, adjust grip pressure automatically, accept plain-English commands, and predict their own maintenance. Discover how AI is transforming packaging operations.
Read More
The AI revolution in packaging robotics is here
Annual Outlook Report: Sustainability
The road ahead for CPGs in 2025 and beyond—Packaging World editors review key findings from a survey of 88 brand owners, CPG, and FMCG readers.
Download Now
Annual Outlook Report: Sustainability