ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the Federal regulatory requirements for the marketing of cosmetics in the United States, under the laws administered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Federal control of cosmetics is a complex and shared responsibility, and, although this chapter focuses on the FDA’s regulation of cosmetic products and their labeling, the overlapping jurisdictions of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should be noted. It is clearly beyond the scope of this chapter to discuss the legitimate consumer advocacy role played by the State Legislatures and by the State Attorney-General, but such discussions are readily available to the interested reader elsewhere (1). The role of ‘‘selfregulation’’ in the joint oversight responsibility for cosmetics by FDA and its stakeholders in the Industry is also discussed. Finally, the chapter concludes with a brief discussion of international harmonization and its potential influence on the future course of cosmetic regulation in the U.S.
