One of the comments we occasionally receive is that a custom Cosmetic Product Safety Report is expensive. We completely understand why someone new to the industry might think that. After all, what you receive at the end is a PDF document, and unless you've ever written one yourself, it's easy to assume it's simply a case of filling in a template.

The reality couldn't be more different.  We're actually very reasonably priced.

A custom CPSR starts long before the report itself is written. Every ingredient in your formulation has to be checked individually, along with all of the supporting documentation supplied by your raw material suppliers. That means reviewing Safety Data Sheets, IFRA certificates where relevant, allergen declarations, ingredient specifications, preservative systems, colourants, botanical extracts, checking for banned and restricted substances, impurities, microbiological risk and ensuring everything complies with current UK and EU cosmetic legislation.

Only once all of that has been reviewed can the actual safety assessment begin.

A custom report isn't simply confirming that an ingredient is "allowed". The assessor has to consider how every ingredient behaves as part of the finished formulation. A preservative that works perfectly well in one product may be completely unsuitable in another. An ingredient being "natural" or commonly used doesn't automatically mean it can be used at any concentration. Every ingredient has to be assessed within the context of the finished cosmetic product, taking into account current cosmetic legislation, toxicological data and, where applicable, IFRA restrictions. These are the sorts of things that have to be assessed every single time, even if the formulation only differs slightly from another product.

For many products, toxicological calculations also have to be completed. Consumer exposure is calculated, margins of safety are determined, restricted ingredients assessed and the intended use of the finished product taken into account. Whether something is a face cream, a body butter, a shampoo or a perfume can completely change how it is assessed.

Behind every report is specialist toxicology software, scientific literature, regulatory databases and years of experience interpreting them correctly. That work is carried out by a suitably qualified cosmetic safety assessor, who is professionally responsible for the opinion they sign. They're not simply checking boxes on a form—they're putting their professional reputation behind the conclusion that your product is safe when used as intended.

There's also a great deal of work that customers never see. It's not unusual for ingredient paperwork to be incomplete, out of date or inconsistent. Sometimes supplier documents have to be queried before an assessment can even begin. Other times, an assessor will identify a formulation issue that isn't strictly a safety problem but is likely to affect the finished product, such as a preservative system that could be improved or an antioxidant that would help protect oils from oxidation. While the role of a CPSR is to assess safety rather than formulation quality, an experienced assessor will often spot obvious issues that could save you time and money later.

This is also why custom reports will never cost the same as pre-assessed ones.

A pre-assessed formulation has already gone through all of this work. The formula has already been developed, checked, assessed and approved. Because the same report can be supplied to many customers using the same formulation, that original assessment cost is shared across multiple sales, making it a much more affordable option.

A custom CPSR is completely different. It is produced specifically for your formulation, your ingredients and your supporting documentation. Even if two recipes look almost identical, changing a fragrance, preservative or botanical extract can mean parts of the assessment have to be carried out again. There really isn't such a thing as a "quick" custom safety report.

Ultimately, you're not paying for a PDF document. You're paying for scientific knowledge, regulatory expertise, toxicological assessment, professional qualifications, specialist software, document review and the legal responsibility accepted by the safety assessor. The report itself is simply the final record of everything that has already taken place behind the scenes.

I often compare it to when I worked in a petrol station as a teenager. Customers would regularly come in frustrated about the price of fuel and direct that frustration at me, even though I had absolutely no control over it. I understood why they felt that way—buying petrol wasn't something they wanted to spend money on, it was simply something they needed in order to keep going.

I think custom Cosmetic Safety Reports are often viewed in much the same way. They're a legal requirement if you want to sell cosmetic products, and understandably they're not the exciting part of starting a business. Most people would rather spend that money on beautiful packaging, new ingredients or marketing. It's therefore easy to see the CPSR provider as "the expensive part" of the process.

The reality, however, is that the price isn't simply for a document. Behind every report is a suitably qualified safety assessor who has invested years in education, training and experience to develop the knowledge needed to assess cosmetic products safely and in accordance with the law. They also carry professional responsibility for every assessment they sign.

Whatever your own profession or business, you'll know the value of your knowledge and experience. You wouldn't expect to spend years developing specialist skills only to be asked to work for less than they're worth. Cosmetic safety assessors are no different.

If you're looking for the most affordable route into selling cosmetics, our pre-assessed Cosmetic Safety Reports offer exactly that. They've already gone through the lengthy assessment process, allowing us to offer them at a fraction of the cost. If, however, you're creating something completely unique, a custom CPSR is the only way to have your formulation assessed—and that level of bespoke work inevitably takes considerably more time, expertise and responsibility.

All Revega safety assessments are completed by a fully qualified safety assessor.

To find out more about getting a custom product assessed, see HERE
Check out the pre-assessed range HERE