Cosmetics Imports to Israel — CPNP, Notification, Labelling & PIF

1. What Counts as a Cosmetic

Israel aligns with the EU definition: a cosmetic product is any substance or mixture intended to be placed in contact with the external parts of the human body (skin, hair, nails, lips, external genital organs) or with the teeth and the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, with a view exclusively or mainly to cleaning, perfuming, changing appearance, protecting, keeping in good condition, or correcting body odours.

Categories include: skin-care, hair-care, colour cosmetics (makeup), perfumes, deodorants, sun-care, oral hygiene (toothpaste, mouthwash), shaving products, intimate hygiene, and baby cosmetics. Products with a therapeutic claim or active pharmaceutical ingredient cross the line into medicinal products and are regulated separately.

2. From Registration to Notification

Historically, each cosmetic product sold in Israel required an individual pre-market registration with the Ministry of Health's Pharmaceutical Division. Registration demanded a full technical dossier, local lab testing, and could take months per SKU — a significant burden, especially for small brands and niche product lines.

Under the 2025 reform, standard cosmetics shift to a notification-based regime. The Israeli Responsible Person files a notification with the Ministry of Health referencing the product's EU CPNP record, uploads the PIF, and — subject to substance compliance and Israeli labelling — can place the product on market. No individual pre-market approval is required in most cases. Post-market surveillance replaces pre-market certification.

3. CPNP — the EU Anchor

The Cosmetic Product Notification Portal (CPNP) is the centralised electronic system to which every cosmetic product placed on the EU market must be notified before placing on market. A CPNP record includes: product category, EU Responsible Person, product formulation by INCI names, frame formulations for poison centres, original packaging, and intended use category.

For Israeli import purposes, a valid CPNP record is the foundational evidence that the product has gone through the EU regulatory framework. The importer in Israel does not file with CPNP — that is done by the manufacturer or the EU Responsible Person — but references the CPNP identifier in the Israeli notification and preserves a copy of the CPNP confirmation in the Israeli PIF.

4. The Product Information File (PIF)

The PIF is the complete technical dossier for a cosmetic product. It is not submitted to the authorities at import; it is held by the Responsible Person and produced on inspection. Its contents are standardised under the EU Regulation:

• Product description and identity (name, category, intended use)
• Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR) — the assessment of the product's safety under foreseeable conditions of use, authored by a qualified safety assessor
• Manufacturing method and GMP declaration (ISO 22716 compliant)
• Full ingredient list in INCI nomenclature, with percentages for functional or regulated ingredients
• Evidence of claims — any functional or benefit claim on the label must be supported
• Evidence of effect — for SPF, anti-ageing, anti-dandruff and similar claims
• Undesirable effects data — any serious undesirable effects reported must be in the PIF
• Animal-testing statement where relevant

5. The Israeli Responsible Person

Every cosmetic product on the Israeli market must have a designated Responsible Person (RP) — a legal or natural person established in Israel and named on the label as the accountable party. The RP carries the legal responsibility for:

• Holding and maintaining the Product Information File
• Notifying the Ministry of Health before placing the product on market
• Ensuring the product complies with Israeli and EU cosmetics law, including prohibited and restricted substance limits
• Managing the reporting of serious undesirable effects (Cosmetovigilance)
• Conducting any recall if required

For an imported brand, the importer in Israel typically acts as the RP — but the role can also be contracted to a specialist regulatory-services company. Either way, the RP must be Israeli-established and named on every product sold in Israel.

6. Prohibited & Restricted Substances

EU Regulation 1223/2009 contains six annexes that govern substance use in cosmetics. Israel adopts these same lists substantively:

A product that meets Annexes II–VI and has a valid CPNP record is in compliance substance-wise. The Israeli notification does not re-test the formulation — the EU compliance is accepted. If the EU later updates an annex (e.g., banning a substance that was previously allowed), the change flows through; importers should monitor EU Commission Implementing Regulations for cosmetics.

7. Hebrew Labelling Requirements

Israeli cosmetics labelling mirrors the EU content requirements with a Hebrew language overlay. Required on the product label (primary or secondary packaging):

• Product name and function — in Hebrew
• Ingredients list (INCI) — may remain in Latin/international INCI nomenclature as per EU standard
• Net content in grams or millilitres
• Date of minimum durability (PAO — Period After Opening — symbol for products lasting > 30 months)
• Batch / lot number
• Country of origin
• Responsible Person in Israel — name and address
• Warnings and usage instructions — in Hebrew
• Claims — any functional / benefit claim must be substantiated in the PIF

8. The Import Process Step by Step

1. Appoint / confirm the Israeli Responsible Person — typically the importer; the RP's details appear on the product label.
2. Obtain the CPNP reference and PIF from the EU Responsible Person or the manufacturer.
3. Verify substance compliance — cross-check the INCI list against Annexes II–VI of EU Regulation 1223/2009 for prohibited, restricted, preservative, colourant, and UV-filter compliance.
4. Prepare Hebrew labelling — pre-print at origin or plan overstickering at an Israeli bonded warehouse.
5. File the notification with the Ministry of Health Pharmaceutical Division referencing the CPNP record and the Israeli RP.
6. Ship and clear customs — customs broker files import declaration with the cosmetics notification reference.
7. Retail & Cosmetovigilance — once on market, the RP monitors undesirable effects, maintains the PIF current, and is subject to Ministry of Health post-market surveillance.