Japanese skincare and beauty products enjoy an excellent reputation in Europe. Bringing them to market legally is a precise but well-charted process, governed in the EU by Regulation 1223/2009 and in Switzerland by the ordinance on cosmetics, which is closely aligned with it.
Every cosmetic product placed on the EU market must have a responsible person established in the EU. This person guarantees compliance, holds the product information file and is the contact for authorities. In Switzerland, a comparable duty falls on the Swiss importer. Fujisan, or a partner entity in the EU, takes that role for the products it imports.
The file documents the product's safety: full formula, specifications of raw materials, manufacturing method, proof of claims, stability data and, above all, a safety assessment signed by a qualified assessor. Japanese makers usually hold most of this information; the main work is to structure it in the European format and to commission the safety assessment.
Europe maintains lists of prohibited, restricted and authorised substances, including colourants, preservatives and UV filters. A product formulated for Japan may contain an ingredient that is not authorised in Europe or is limited to a lower concentration. We screen the formula before any other step, so that no money is spent on a product that would need reformulation.
The label must show the function of the product, the ingredient list in INCI nomenclature, the nominal content, the date of minimum durability or the period after opening, precautions for use, the batch number, the country of origin and the responsible person. Languages follow the rules of each country of sale.
Before an EU launch, the product is notified in the Cosmetic Products Notification Portal. Switzerland has no equivalent portal, but the same documentation must be available to the authorities on request.
Europe prohibits animal testing of cosmetics and of their ingredients for cosmetic purposes, and prohibits marketing products tested in that way. Makers must be able to document this.
Have a product for this market? Send us a short presentation. We reply within a few working days with a first assessment, in English or Japanese.
Contact FujisanThis guide is general information prepared by Fujisan Sagl and is not legal advice. Regulations change; we verify the applicable requirements for each product before import.
