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, it also must take note of the overlapping jurisdictions of its sister agencies, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It is clearly beyond the scope of this writing to discuss the role played by the State Legislatures and by the State Attorneys-General, but such discussions are readily available to the interested reader elsewhere (1). The role of ‘‘self-regulation’’ in the joint oversight responsibility for cosmetics by the FDA and its stakeholders in the industry is also discussed. Finally, the chapter concludes with a brief mention of international harmonization and its impact on cosmetic regulation in the United States.
