In 2025, the cosmetics, fragrances and home fragrance industry has accelerated on all fronts:
– Stronger regulatory requirements,
– Rise of dermo-cosmetics,
– Skinification of haircare products,
– Strategy increasingly oriented towards global compliance.
For brands, the challenge is no longer just to be compliant in Europe, but to think from the outset in terms of global compliance, integrating at minimum the EU, the United States and Canada, then zones such as ASEAN, the GCC or Taiwan.
1. 2025: cosmetic compliance becomes global by design
New launches are now rarely done for a single country: one and the same product is conceived from the outset for several regions, with different constraints on:
- Classification (cosmetic, OTC, quasi-drug, etc.),
- Lists of authorised / restricted ingredients,
- Labelling, claims, evidence of efficacy.
The EcoMundo blog plays a central role in monitoring and education, in particular via the cosmetics category.
Throughout 2024–2025, it has informed our clients and partners about new requirements, sensitive substances, regulatory dossiers and the impacts of major European revisions.
2. EU / United States / Canada: a strategic foundation… but no longer sufficient
European Union: simplification and vigilance
In Europe, 2025 has been marked by discussions around the simplification of cosmetic and chemical regulations, with an impact on:
- Ingredient management,
- Certain labelling rules,
- And the competitiveness of manufacturers.
These issues are detailed in:
👉 EU Regulatory Simplification: What It Means for the Future of Cosmetic Compliance
At the same time, regulatory teams remain focused on ingredient safety, the management of restricted substances and updates to the annex of Regulation 1223/2009, as explained in:
👉 Understanding the Regulation of Cosmetic Ingredients in Europe: 5 Key Facts
United States and Canada: ongoing structuring of requirements
In the United States, the progressive implementation of the framework arising from MoCRA is strengthening obligations for players in the cosmetics sector, in particular regarding:
- Registration of facilities with the competent authorities,
- Product safety monitoring, including the collection and evaluation of toxicological data,
- Structuring and management of product data to ensure compliance and traceability,
- Designation of a Responsible Person in charge of guaranteeing regulatory compliance.
In Canada, cosmetic regulation continues to evolve towards strengthened obligations for manufacturers and importers, such as among others:
Canadian address for importers / manufacturers
- Since March 2025, the CNF requires a valid Canadian address for the manufacturer or importer.
- Foreign brands must appoint a local representative (Canadian Agent).
Structuring and management of product dossiers
- Dossiers compliant with Canadian regulatory requirements, including traceability and information on allergens.
Updates to the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist
- Certain substances now restricted or banned (e.g.: Retinal restricted, thioglycolic acid esters banned).
- Mandatory regulatory watch to anticipate new restrictions.
To succeed, teams must now reason in terms of an EU / US / Canada block right from the design phase, and no longer simply add these markets afterwards.
3. Global compliance: also integrating ASEAN, the GCC and Taiwan
The 2025–2026 reality is that growth also comes from markets long considered “secondary”, but now highly structured.
Taiwan: a pivot market in Asia
Taiwan is a good illustration of this evolution: long seen as a simple gateway to Asia, the country now requires:
- Strict notification,
- Implementation of a complete local PIF (Product Information File),
- And a timeline stretching to 2026 depending on product categories.
All key points (PIF, steps, schedule, points of vigilance) are detailed in:
👉 Taiwan 2025: What Cosmetic Brands Must Prepare to Remain Compliant
This evolution is based in particular on the robustness of safety assessments and the ability of toxicologists to structure a dossier that meets TFDA expectations.
ASEAN & GCC: rising maturity
The ASEAN and GCC (Gulf countries) zones are also strengthening their frameworks, with:
- More comprehensive registration requirements,
- Increased controls on sensitive ingredients,
- And a gradual alignment with major international standards, while retaining local specificities.
From a global compliance perspective, these markets are no longer “optional”: they must be taken into account very early in formulation and labelling strategy.
4. Dermo-cosmetics: scientific expertise and increased requirements
In 2025, dermo-cosmetics confirm their place as a driving category: products halfway between classic cosmetics and the dermatological universe, intended for fragile, sensitive or problem skin.
We observe:
- An upscaling of promises (skin barrier, microbiome, acne-prone skin, redness, etc.),
- More demanding efficacy dossiers,
- And increased vigilance regarding safety and the consistency of claims.
All these aspects are discussed in detail in:
👉 Everything You Need to Know About Dermocosmetics: Regulations, Safety, and Best Practices
In a context of globalisation, these products require fine classification according to country (cosmetic, OTC, quasi-drug, etc.) and perfect control of regulatory borders.
5. Skinification of haircare: sophistication & structuring of data
Skinification has now become a reflex in haircare: skincare protocols and actives are applied to the scalp and lengths, with:
- Concentrated serums,
- Functional actives (niacinamide, gentle acids, peptides, ceramides, etc.),
- Focus on the microbiome and the skin barrier of the scalp.
These products are often launched simultaneously in Europe, North America and Asia. The direct consequence: a need to structure product data (formulas, raw materials, tests, PIF, etc.) for all zones.
6. Fragrances & home fragrance products: transparency, safety and multi-frameworks
Personal fragrances and home fragrance products (candles, sprays, diffusers, linen sprays, etc.) remain at the heart of consumer expectations, with several strong trends in 2025:
- Demand for “cleaner” and more transparent fragrances,
- Fine management of fragrance allergens,
- Alignment between cosmetic requirements, IFRA, and sometimes CLP/GHS for products considered as chemical mixtures.
Authorities and retailers expect complete traceability of compositions, safety and labelling data, particularly in the case of multi-country extensions.
7. Digital tools & PLM: industrialising global compliance
To keep pace with this complexity, digitalisation is becoming central.
Cosmetic Factory, EcoMundo’s PLM, highlighted in:
👉Cosmetic Factory: Best Technology Application 2025
And, more broadly, reflections on Beauty Tech 2025:
👉 Beauty Tech en 2025 : tendances, innovation et transformation des marques
Show how to:
- Centralise data on ingredients, formulas, tests, PIF,
- Automate part of regulatory checks,
- Simulate compliance in several zones right from the development phase.
8. 2026: priorities for cosmetics players
For 2026, several key areas are emerging:
Design global
Think from the product brief stage about the EU, the United States and Canada, but also zones such as Taiwan, ASEAN or the GCC.
Rationalise dossiers
Harmonise PIF and other local dossiers as much as possible, to avoid redundancies and diverging versions.
Strengthen safety and traceability
Rely on best practices described in articles dedicated to product and ingredient safety, and keep PIF up to date.
Rely on regulatory watch
Regularly follow news and developments.
Conclusion
The year 2025 has confirmed a major shift:
Cosmetic compliance is no longer local, nor even regional; it is becoming global by design.
For fragrances, home fragrance products, dermo-cosmetics and haircare products resulting from skinification, succeeding in 2026 means:
- Anticipating the major zones (EU, United States, Canada),
- Integrating very early the emerging but demanding markets (ASEAN, GCC, Taiwan),
- And relying on tools and expertise capable of supporting true global compliance.
Ready to move to true global compliance for your cosmetics, fragrances and home fragrance products? EcoMundo’s experts support you worldwide: EU, United States, Canada, Taiwan, ASEAN, GCC and beyond.👉 Let’s talk about your projects and regulatory challenges: get in touch with us today to build a strong, scalable compliance strategy tailored to your target markets.
.png)
In 2025, the cosmetics, fragrances and home fragrance industry has accelerated on all fronts:
– Stronger regulatory requirements,
– Rise of dermo-cosmetics,
– Skinification of haircare products,
– Strategy increasingly oriented towards global compliance.
For brands, the challenge is no longer just to be compliant in Europe, but to think from the outset in terms of global compliance, integrating at minimum the EU, the United States and Canada, then zones such as ASEAN, the GCC or Taiwan.
1. 2025: cosmetic compliance becomes global by design
New launches are now rarely done for a single country: one and the same product is conceived from the outset for several regions, with different constraints on:
- Classification (cosmetic, OTC, quasi-drug, etc.),
- Lists of authorised / restricted ingredients,
- Labelling, claims, evidence of efficacy.
The EcoMundo blog plays a central role in monitoring and education, in particular via the cosmetics category.
Throughout 2024–2025, it has informed our clients and partners about new requirements, sensitive substances, regulatory dossiers and the impacts of major European revisions.
2. EU / United States / Canada: a strategic foundation… but no longer sufficient
European Union: simplification and vigilance
In Europe, 2025 has been marked by discussions around the simplification of cosmetic and chemical regulations, with an impact on:
- Ingredient management,
- Certain labelling rules,
- And the competitiveness of manufacturers.
These issues are detailed in:
👉 EU Regulatory Simplification: What It Means for the Future of Cosmetic Compliance
At the same time, regulatory teams remain focused on ingredient safety, the management of restricted substances and updates to the annex of Regulation 1223/2009, as explained in:
👉 Understanding the Regulation of Cosmetic Ingredients in Europe: 5 Key Facts
United States and Canada: ongoing structuring of requirements
In the United States, the progressive implementation of the framework arising from MoCRA is strengthening obligations for players in the cosmetics sector, in particular regarding:
- Registration of facilities with the competent authorities,
- Product safety monitoring, including the collection and evaluation of toxicological data,
- Structuring and management of product data to ensure compliance and traceability,
- Designation of a Responsible Person in charge of guaranteeing regulatory compliance.
In Canada, cosmetic regulation continues to evolve towards strengthened obligations for manufacturers and importers, such as among others:
Canadian address for importers / manufacturers
- Since March 2025, the CNF requires a valid Canadian address for the manufacturer or importer.
- Foreign brands must appoint a local representative (Canadian Agent).
Structuring and management of product dossiers
- Dossiers compliant with Canadian regulatory requirements, including traceability and information on allergens.
Updates to the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist
- Certain substances now restricted or banned (e.g.: Retinal restricted, thioglycolic acid esters banned).
- Mandatory regulatory watch to anticipate new restrictions.
To succeed, teams must now reason in terms of an EU / US / Canada block right from the design phase, and no longer simply add these markets afterwards.
3. Global compliance: also integrating ASEAN, the GCC and Taiwan
The 2025–2026 reality is that growth also comes from markets long considered “secondary”, but now highly structured.
Taiwan: a pivot market in Asia
Taiwan is a good illustration of this evolution: long seen as a simple gateway to Asia, the country now requires:
- Strict notification,
- Implementation of a complete local PIF (Product Information File),
- And a timeline stretching to 2026 depending on product categories.
All key points (PIF, steps, schedule, points of vigilance) are detailed in:
👉 Taiwan 2025: What Cosmetic Brands Must Prepare to Remain Compliant
This evolution is based in particular on the robustness of safety assessments and the ability of toxicologists to structure a dossier that meets TFDA expectations.
ASEAN & GCC: rising maturity
The ASEAN and GCC (Gulf countries) zones are also strengthening their frameworks, with:
- More comprehensive registration requirements,
- Increased controls on sensitive ingredients,
- And a gradual alignment with major international standards, while retaining local specificities.
From a global compliance perspective, these markets are no longer “optional”: they must be taken into account very early in formulation and labelling strategy.
4. Dermo-cosmetics: scientific expertise and increased requirements
In 2025, dermo-cosmetics confirm their place as a driving category: products halfway between classic cosmetics and the dermatological universe, intended for fragile, sensitive or problem skin.
We observe:
- An upscaling of promises (skin barrier, microbiome, acne-prone skin, redness, etc.),
- More demanding efficacy dossiers,
- And increased vigilance regarding safety and the consistency of claims.
All these aspects are discussed in detail in:
👉 Everything You Need to Know About Dermocosmetics: Regulations, Safety, and Best Practices
In a context of globalisation, these products require fine classification according to country (cosmetic, OTC, quasi-drug, etc.) and perfect control of regulatory borders.
5. Skinification of haircare: sophistication & structuring of data
Skinification has now become a reflex in haircare: skincare protocols and actives are applied to the scalp and lengths, with:
- Concentrated serums,
- Functional actives (niacinamide, gentle acids, peptides, ceramides, etc.),
- Focus on the microbiome and the skin barrier of the scalp.
These products are often launched simultaneously in Europe, North America and Asia. The direct consequence: a need to structure product data (formulas, raw materials, tests, PIF, etc.) for all zones.
6. Fragrances & home fragrance products: transparency, safety and multi-frameworks
Personal fragrances and home fragrance products (candles, sprays, diffusers, linen sprays, etc.) remain at the heart of consumer expectations, with several strong trends in 2025:
- Demand for “cleaner” and more transparent fragrances,
- Fine management of fragrance allergens,
- Alignment between cosmetic requirements, IFRA, and sometimes CLP/GHS for products considered as chemical mixtures.
Authorities and retailers expect complete traceability of compositions, safety and labelling data, particularly in the case of multi-country extensions.
7. Digital tools & PLM: industrialising global compliance
To keep pace with this complexity, digitalisation is becoming central.
Cosmetic Factory, EcoMundo’s PLM, highlighted in:
👉Cosmetic Factory: Best Technology Application 2025
And, more broadly, reflections on Beauty Tech 2025:
👉 Beauty Tech en 2025 : tendances, innovation et transformation des marques
Show how to:
- Centralise data on ingredients, formulas, tests, PIF,
- Automate part of regulatory checks,
- Simulate compliance in several zones right from the development phase.
8. 2026: priorities for cosmetics players
For 2026, several key areas are emerging:
Design global
Think from the product brief stage about the EU, the United States and Canada, but also zones such as Taiwan, ASEAN or the GCC.
Rationalise dossiers
Harmonise PIF and other local dossiers as much as possible, to avoid redundancies and diverging versions.
Strengthen safety and traceability
Rely on best practices described in articles dedicated to product and ingredient safety, and keep PIF up to date.
Rely on regulatory watch
Regularly follow news and developments.
Conclusion
The year 2025 has confirmed a major shift:
Cosmetic compliance is no longer local, nor even regional; it is becoming global by design.
For fragrances, home fragrance products, dermo-cosmetics and haircare products resulting from skinification, succeeding in 2026 means:
- Anticipating the major zones (EU, United States, Canada),
- Integrating very early the emerging but demanding markets (ASEAN, GCC, Taiwan),
- And relying on tools and expertise capable of supporting true global compliance.
Ready to move to true global compliance for your cosmetics, fragrances and home fragrance products? EcoMundo’s experts support you worldwide: EU, United States, Canada, Taiwan, ASEAN, GCC and beyond.👉 Let’s talk about your projects and regulatory challenges: get in touch with us today to build a strong, scalable compliance strategy tailored to your target markets.
