Committee publication · Correspondence · 24 June 2026
Letter from Deputy Chief Executive Office for Product Safety and Standards, re: Follow-up to the Hair and beauty oral evidence session on 3 June, 17 June
From: Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
Inquiry: The science and regulation of hair and beauty products and treatments
Summary
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) provides follow-up clarification to the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee following their 3 June hair and beauty products inquiry session. OPSS outlines the UK's regulatory framework for cosmetics and consumer products, explains enforcement mechanisms including action against non-compliant online marketplaces, and details ongoing work to assess chemical risks in hair relaxers through the Scientific Advisory Group on Chemical Safety in Consumer Products.
Key findings
- OPSS is the UK's national product regulator established in 2018, responsible for all consumer products except vehicles, food and medical products; in 2024–25 border checks resulted in 2.6 million goods refused entry to the UK.
- Cosmetics must comply with Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and be notified via the Submit a Cosmetic Product Notification system (SCPN); over 860,000 notifications made since 2021 by more than 24,000 Responsible Persons.
- Serious Undesirable Effect (SUE) notifications for cosmetics totalled 69 in 2024–25, 90 in 2023–24, and 86 in 2022–23, with no reports involving hair straightener products, though this may reflect under-reporting.
- OPSS has issued enforcement notices to online marketplaces (e.g. 26 Withdrawal Notices on eight marketplaces for dangerous e-bike batteries) but has not prosecuted any online marketplace or issued fines to date.
- OPSS is undertaking a literature review on substances in hair relaxers prioritised for assessment by the Scientific Advisory Group on Chemical Safety in Consumer Products, with no confirmed timescale yet, pending the Committee's forthcoming report.
Tone
FactualTopics
Key actors
Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), Dame Chi Onwurah MP, Minister Dearden, Scientific Advisory Group on Chemical Safety in Consumer Products (SAG-CS), UK Health Security Agency, Department for Business and Trade, Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
Notable line
“… any person engaged in the supply of cosmetics to consumers in a commercial capacity has some level of obligation for its safety”
Key Quotes
“(OPSS) is the UK's national product regulator. Established in 2018, it is responsible for the regulation of all consumer products, including cosmetics, except for vehicles, food and medical products.”
“… enquiries: +44 (0)121 345 1201 partner agencies at the border led to checks on over 14 million products, with 2.6 million goods refused entry to the UK.”
“Within these, there were no reports to OPSS of SUEs involving hair straightener products. This does not necessarily indicate there were no incidents, however, but may highlight the need for reporting of SUEs to be made more visible to consumers and businesses …”
“… when OPSS gathered evidence of cosmetics containing the banned chemical Lilial being available, this led to marketplaces implementing controls to prevent listings, and products being removed from supply by online marketplaces …”
“OPSS has not prosecuted any online marketplaces to date, and I also confirm OPSS has not been required to issue any fines to date.”
“OPSS is already undertaking work in relation to cosmetic hair relaxers. We recognised the increased interest in recent years in chemical hair straighteners and their potential link with certain cancers.”
“At the moment I am unable to confirm a timescale for this work, but OPSS has advised the SAG-CS of this area's priority following the concerns raised to the Committee …”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗