In order to perform the safety assessment of your cosmetic product, companies need to have also physical/chemical specifications of the raw materials included in the finished product. If the product contains fragrances (perfumes), then you will also need to show IFRA compliance for these fragrances.
What is IFRA and what are IFRA standards?
IFRA is an International Fragrance Association, which was founded in Geneva in 1973. IFRA aims to represent the collective interests of the fragrance industry, and its main purpose is to promote the safe enjoyment of fragrances worldwide. RIFM (industry’s scientific centre) together with IFRA makes sure that the establishment of usage standards for fragrance materials is put into practice according to the available scientific recommendations and that member companies comply with those standards.
IFRA standards form the basis for the globally accepted and recognized risk management system for the safe use of fragrance ingredients and are part of the product risk management process, the IFRA Code of Practice. This is the self-regulating system of the industry, based on risk assessments carried out by an independent expert panel (REXPAN)[1].
IFRA standards are required in the EU as part of the physical/chemical specifications and consequently the safety assessment, the Brazilian policy makers have adopted IFRA standards into law, while also ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) cosmetic directive refers to the IFRA standards as far as fragrances in cosmetic products are concerned.
[1] Source: IFRA website: http://www.ifraorg.org/en-us/home/public_home/