Traceability of cosmetics - Chemical supply chain of cosmetics

The traceability of cosmetics is a very important aspect for the safety of companies and end consumers.

The traceability system also protects manufacturers because it prevents the product from being counterfeited thanks to an anti-counterfeiting system. This is possible by making the product traceable anywhere and at any time, thus “unique”.

This trend for increasing traceability stems from the real need to protect manufacturers and consumers and is governed by Regulation EC No. 1223/2009, enacted on July 11, 2013.

Tracing a cosmetic product anywhere in the world and during any stage of its production and distribution chain is possible thanks to cutting-edge technology such as real-time locating systems (RTLS) and IOT technology.

The cosmetics industry is a very broad-reaching world that includes a variety of product types widely used in many contexts, such as:

• skin creams,
• shampoo,
• body care and hygiene products,
• make-up products,
• sun creams and products,
• oral hygiene products.

Even though they are not medical products, we still, however, talk about products with chemical formulas which we apply to the skin and on the most intimate and sensitive parts of our body. They are products, therefore, which if not correctly formulated according to legal standards, could lead to unwanted effects.

For this reason, the European community, as we have seen, has governed the production and distribution aspects, by attributing the responsibility to the distributors of what is made available on the market and by implementing the obligation of traceability along the entire supply chain.

For every cosmetic product made available on the market, the law requires that a person be defined as responsible who will be the guarantor of the obligations governed by Regulation EC No. 1223/2009.

The person responsible for the cosmetic products (or represented by an expert consultant on the subject) must prepare a dossier that includes the information on the product and demonstrates its safety.

This is the PIF (Product Information File), i.e. a reasoned report that takes into consideration every aspect of the finished product, such as the production stage, packaging and other key aspects to prove the quality and conformity of the cosmetic product.

The responsible person must also implement a cosmetovigilance system capable of correctly handling reports in the event of unwanted effects caused by the application of the product, in order to be able to manage the problem and take action as quickly as possible.

And it is precisely Reg. EC 1223/2009 that requires the person responsible for a cosmetic product to set up a cosmetovigilance system and report any problems encountered to the competent authorities.

IoT and artificial intelligence technology, as we have seen, are effective tools for tracing cosmetic products along the entire supply chain.

They also provide valid solutions for sustaining the fight against the counterfeiting of cosmetic products.

Using IoT technology for combating the counterfeiting of cosmetics offers numerous benefits:

• Protect the market again counterfeiting,
• Safeguard consumers,
• Trace the cosmetic product throughout its life cycle,
• Collect information about the products and promptly notify the authorities about any issues.

The modern technology of artificial intelligence has, therefore, successfully led us to truly important milestone for the cosmetics industry which, at one time, seemed unimaginable.