Importing cosmetics into Canada: notification, labels and the Hotlist
Cosmetics imported for sale in Canada come with three obligations: notify Health Canada within 10 days of first selling each product, label it in English and French, and keep prohibited ingredients out. Here is how to meet each one.
- Notifywithin 10 days of first sale
- Notificationfree
- LabelsEnglish and French
In short
What the rules require
Under section 30 of the Cosmetic Regulations, every manufacturer and every importer must notify Health Canada within 10 days after first selling a cosmetic in Canada. The notification is made on the online Cosmetic Notification Form (CNF) and is free. It is not an approval: filing it does not mean Health Canada has authorized the product for sale.
Read the details
The form lists the product, the companies involved and every ingredient with its concentration. If you are the importer, you give the contact details of whoever manufactured or formulated the product. Since March 5, 2025 the form also requires a Canadian address for the manufacturer or the importer.
Ingredients must respect the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist, Health Canada's list of prohibited and restricted ingredients. Restricted ones come with conditions such as a maximum concentration or the products they may be used in.
Importing cosmetics, step by step
Confirm it is a cosmetic
Confirm the product is regulated as a cosmetic. Products making therapeutic claims fall under the drug or natural health product rules instead.
Check the Hotlist
Check every ingredient against the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist: prohibited ingredients are out, restricted ones must respect the stated conditions.
Get the labels right
Make sure the outer label shows the product identity and net quantity in English and French, the list of ingredients, and the name and principal place of business of the dealer.
Give notice if relabelling
If the products need relabelling or changes after import, give Health Canada advance notice of the importation through your regional office. One form can cover several imports over 3 months.
Notify within 10 days
Submit the Cosmetic Notification Form within 10 days after the first sale, with copies of the labels and inserts where required. Health Canada gives the product a cosmetic number.
Keep it up to date
Send a revised notification within 10 days of any change: formula, product name, company details, or when you stop selling the product.
The rules at a glance
From Health Canada's notification, labelling and Hotlist guidance.
- Notification
- Cosmetic Notification Form within 10 days of first sale; no fee
- Changes
- Revised notification within 10 days
- Canadian address
- Required for the manufacturer or the importer since March 5, 2025
- Ingredients
- Nothing prohibited by the Hotlist; restricted ones within their conditions
- Labels
- Identity and net quantity in English and French; ingredient list; dealer's name and place of business
- Products to be relabelled
- Advance notice of importation to Health Canada
Missing the 10 days stops sales
If the notification is not filed within 10 days of the first sale, the cosmetic cannot be sold. Health Canada can have it removed from sale or refused entry into Canada.
Common questions
Do I need Health Canada approval to import cosmetics?
No approval, but a notification: you file the Cosmetic Notification Form within 10 days after first selling the product in Canada. It is free, and filing it is not an approval.
Who files the notification, the manufacturer or the importer?
The obligation applies to both. If you import a product made abroad, you file it and give the details of whoever manufactured or formulated it.
Do I need a Canadian address?
Yes. Since March 5, 2025 the form requires a Canadian address for the manufacturer or the importer.
My labels are only in English. Can I still import?
Yes, if you relabel before selling. Give Health Canada advance notice of the importation through your regional office first.
Do I still need customs registration?
Yes. These rules come on top of the customs requirements: an [[/import/rm-business-number|RM import account]], and accounting for each shipment in CARM.
- Sources:
- Notification of Cosmetics (Health Canada)
- Guide for Cosmetic Notifications (Health Canada)
- Industry Guide for the Labelling of Cosmetics (Health Canada)
- Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist: Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients (Health Canada)
- Advance notice of importation process for cosmetics and drugs (Health Canada)
Check where you stand
See which import requirements apply to your shipments.
Keep reading
The next steps most people take from here.
Importing
The whole path to importing commercial goods into Canada, in order.
Read →Import/export number (RM)
The import/export account number the CBSA needs before your first shipment.
Read →Importing food
The CFIA licence and plan you need before food reaches the border.
Read →Import readiness
Check your import readiness: CARM, RPP security, classification, permits.
Read →