How to Export Cosmetics to Russia

A special sector

From the point of view of certification, the cosmetics sector (including perfumery) offers certain peculiarities that must be taken into account by any company that would like to export to Russia.

The most important factor here is the relative importance of the tariff heading or HS code. This is the first, and most important, piece of information that we request from customers. However, we have to point out that it isn’t possible to establish in advance what certification is required from a cosmetic simply based on the TARIC code.

With simpler certifications, such as those for olives, olive oil, or wine, there is a direct and unequivocal relationship between the TARIC code and the procedure to be followed for certification. We have observed that this is not the case in the regulations on footwear, for example, where, apart from the TARIC code, the user’s age is the determining factor as to whether or not it is necessary to carry out an EAC Certificate of Conformity.

In the regulations regarding cosmetics something similar occurs: the determining factor here is the product hazard and risk, according to Regulation CUTR 009/2011 “Safety of Perfumery and Cosmetics”, in the Annex 12.

Would you like to check this regulation and you don’t understand Russian? We have an unofficial translation into English. Request it at info@gost-standard.com and we will send it to you.

Products subject to State Registration

The 13 products on the following list are subject to State Registration, which implies sending samples and tests in a ministerial laboratory:

1. Perfumes and cosmetic products for artificial tanning;
2. Perfumery and cosmetic products for skin whitening (tanning);
3. Cosmetics for tattooing;
4. Intimate cosmetics;
5. Perfumery and cosmetics for individual protection against exposure to harmful production factors;
6. Cosmetics for children;
7. Perfumery and cosmetic products for dyeing, lightening and highlighting the hair using chemical products;
8. Perfumes and cosmetic products for perming and straightening hair;
9. Perfumery and cosmetic products made with nanomaterials;
10. Perfumes and cosmetic products for depilation;
11. Chemical peels;
12. Oral hygiene products containing fluoride, mass fraction of fluorides within 0.15% (for liquid oral hygiene products – 0.05%);
13. Dentifrices containing peroxide coatings or other peroxide-releasing ingredients, including carbamide peroxide and zinc peroxide, with a liquid peroxide concentration (as an ingredient or issued) of 0.1% – 6.0%.

A product excluded from this list has to be certified according to 3D scheme conformity assessment. That means that, after testing samples in a private Russian accredited laboratory, an EAC Declaration of Conformity will be issued.

Documentation needed to sell cosmetics to Russia

The product’s INSI, the qualitative chemical analysis which will indicate all the components present in the product, without the need to specify their individual quantities, is the document we need to determine precisely what type of certification is required.

The presence of nanomaterials in the composition of the product is definitely relevant, since, as seen above, a State Registration is required in this case. This information may not be completely clear in a normal INSI, as the same material has different functions depending on whether or not it is in its nano state. A common example is titanium dioxide, which can be present in a cosmetic as a white pigment in its “normal” state or as a UV sunscreen if it is in its nano state.

Cosmetic Labelling Requirement

According to Regulation CUTR 009/2011 “Safety of Perfumery and Cosmetics”, the information that must appear on the packaging of the cosmetic or perfumery product is as follows:

1. Trade name of the product
2. Product description, if not derived from the trade name
3. Name and location of the manufacturer (legal address, including country)
4. Product’s country of origin (if the country where production takes place differs from the manufacturer’s address)
5. Name and location of the organization (business address), which must be authorized by the manufacturer for the reception of customer complaints (either a representative of the manufacturer or an importer)
6. The product’s nominal quantity (volume or weight) including packaging, except for perfumes and cosmetics with a nominal weight of less than 5 grams or a nominal capacity of less than 5 ml
7. Mass fraction of fluoride (%,  mg / kg, or ppm) for oral hygiene products containing fluoride compounds
8. Expiry date
9. Production date (month, year) and either shelf life (months, years) or the words “best before (month, year)”
10. Description of storage conditions in the case that these conditions are different from the standard ones
11. Special precautions (if any) in the application of the products
12. Batch number or an individual code which will allow basic product traceability
13. Information on how to apply perfumes and cosmetic products, the lack of which may lead to improper use of the same
14. A list of ingredients, in accordance with paragraph 9.3 of the regulations.

What we need for a quotation

To receive an answer as quickly as possible, send an email to us at info@gost-standard.com, with the following information for each cosmetic product you would like to export to the Eurasian Union:

• Tariff heading
• Trade name of the product
• Small description (for example: “firming cream”, “facial tonic” or “anti-aging mask”)
• Area of the body where it will be applied
• Components (INSI)
• Whether it contains nanomaterials or not