Guides
Resources for Canadian cosmetic makers
From Health Canada readiness guidance to pricing your products, practical guides to help you formulate, label, and sell with more clarity.
Selling handmade cosmetics in Canada involves more regulatory steps than most new makers expect. Every product must carry a bilingual label with correct INCI ingredient names listed in descending order of predominance. Ingredients must be checked against Health Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist for prohibited or restricted substances. And within 10 days of first sale, most makers must file a Cosmetic Notification Form (CNF) with Health Canada — a submission that requires detailed ingredient data, concentrations, product function claims, and company information.
These guides cover the most common questions and sticking points across that process — written specifically for independent Canadian makers, not industry compliance teams. They explain what the requirement is, why it exists, and what you need to do about it in plain terms.
Compliance and notification
Guides covering the Cosmetic Notification Form, ingredient hotlist, INCI naming, labelling requirements, and fragrance allergen disclosure rules that apply to cosmetics sold in Canada.
Product-type guides
Product-specific walkthroughs for soap, body butter, sugar scrubs, bath bombs, and skincare — covering formulation considerations, labelling specifics, and CNF preparation for each product type.
Coming soon
Guides in progress covering fragrance allergen disclosure requirements and cosmetic product costing for small-batch makers.