Cosmetic products in New Zealand are under the unified regulation of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA, Māori: Te Mana Rauhī Taiao). Its core responsibilities include access compliance review for cosmetics and related chemical substances, post-market safety monitoring, as well as the control and enforcement of hazardous substances.
Official Regulatory Portal: https://www.epa.govt.nz/hazardous-substances/rules-notices-and-how-to-comply/specific-substance-guidance/cosmetics/updated-rules-for-cosmetics/
Cosmetic Products Group Standard 2020
Cosmetic Products Group Standard Amendments (2023)
Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (HSNO Act)
A cosmetic product is defined as a non-medicinal product intended to be applied to the external parts of the human body including the skin, hair, nails and lips by spreading, spraying, wiping or other similar means, with the primary purposes of cleaning, protecting, beautifying, decorating or improving appearance.
The EPA has established the unified Cosmetic Products Group Standard 2020 (HSNO Approval Number: HSR002552), which specifies all mandatory compliance requirements for cosmetic products in detail, including ingredient restrictions, labelling rules, packaging requirements and Safety Data Sheet (SDS) obligations, among others.
Cosmetic products that fully comply with all conditions set out in this Group Standard are automatically deemed to hold HSNO approval. There is no requirement to submit individual product applications to the EPA or wait for case-by-case administrative approval. The unified HSNO approval number HSR002552 shall apply to all products covered by the Group Standard.
Importer/Manufacturer Notification: Basic enterprise information shall be submitted via the HSRN Portal within 30 days of the first importation or manufacture.
Compliance supporting records (including formulation review, ingredient compliance assessment, label artwork, etc.) shall be retained on file for inspection by the EPA.
Additional notification to the EPA is mandatory for nanomaterials (excluding those used as approved colourants, preservatives or UV filters).
Effective from 1 January 2026, all cosmetic products containing any hazardous ingredients must fully comply with the Group Standard, even if the finished product itself is not classified as a hazardous substance.
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Ingredient list in compliance with Schedules 4 to 8 (covering prohibited ingredients, restricted ingredients, permitted colourants, permitted preservatives and permitted UV filters).
Safety Data Sheet (SDS) (applicable to products containing hazardous ingredients).
Product labels that comply with the Hazardous Substances (Labelling) Notice.
Nanomaterials: A notification form shall be submitted to the EPA upon first use (except for approved colourants, preservatives and UV filters).
Record retention: Documentation demonstrating the product’s compliance with the Group Standard shall be maintained.
Non-hazardous finished products that contain hazardous ingredients shall also comply with the Group Standard (effective from 1 January 2026).
Under the HSNO regulatory framework, approvals are granted for substances rather than finished products. All hazardous substances must obtain approval and a corresponding approval number in accordance with the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 before they can be imported, manufactured or used in New Zealand. Its core objective is to prevent and manage the adverse impacts of hazardous substances on the environment and human health and safety.
1.Compliance Procedure
Standard market access procedure: Document completeness review → Product classification and scope confirmation → Ingredient compliance verification → Label compliance review → Authorisation for import into New Zealand
2.Processing Timeline
No pre-market approval waiting period applies. Products that meet all requirements of the Group Standard can be imported or manufactured directly under the self-assessment compliance regime.
3.Official Fees
No official fees are charged.