Product Information File (PIF): What Goes In It and Who Needs One

The Product Information File is the dossier that proves your cosmetic is safe and compliant. Every product needs one before it is placed on the market, and the Responsible Person must be able to produce it promptly if a regulator asks.

What must be in a PIF? The regulation sets out five mandatory parts:

1. Product description. Enough detail to link the file clearly to the product, including name, variants, format and intended use.
2. Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR). The safety assessment in two parts: the safety information (Part A) and the assessor's conclusion (Part B).
3. Manufacturing method and GMP statement. A description of how the product is made and a statement that it complies with good manufacturing practice, usually ISO 22716.
4. Proof of claimed effects. Evidence for every claim you make, where the nature of the claim requires it.
5. Animal testing data. Information on any animal testing done by you or your suppliers relating to the product or its ingredients.

The supporting documents behind the file In practice, the CPSR draws on a stack of documents you'll need to collect first:

• Full quantitative formula (every ingredient and its percentage) • Raw material specifications, safety data sheets and certificates of analysis • IFRA certificate and allergen declaration for any fragrance or essential oils • Stability and compatibility test results • Preservative efficacy (challenge) test results, where relevant • Microbiological test results • Packaging specifications and migration information • Label artwork

Missing supplier documents are the single most common reason PIFs stall. Request them as soon as you choose a raw material, not when you're ready to launch.

Who keeps the PIF and for how long? The Responsible Person keeps the PIF at the address shown on the label. It can be electronic. It must be kept for 10 years after the last batch of the product is placed on the market, and must be readily accessible to OPSS and Trading Standards. In GB it must be available in English.

Do you need a PIF for every variant? Generally, each distinct formula needs its own PIF. Shade ranges of the same base can sometimes share one file where the assessor covers all shades, but this is the assessor's call.

When must the PIF be updated? Treat the PIF as a live document. Update it when you change: • the formula or any raw material supplier • packaging that touches the product • claims or intended use • relevant law, for example a newly restricted ingredient • your undesirable-effects data

FAQs Is a PIF the same as a CPSR? No. The CPSR is one part of the PIF. The PIF is the whole dossier. Can my manufacturer hold the PIF? They can store it, but the RP is accountable for it and must be able to produce it.

Does a PIF need to be submitted anywhere? No. It is kept on file, not submitted. You submit a notification on SCPN instead.

How Labelring helps Labelring is built around the PIF. You enter your product data, Labelring flags what's missing, and you get a structured PIF ready for your safety assessor and regulators.