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Under MoCRA, each cosmetic marketed in the US must be listed with FDA (FD&C Act §608): product category, ingredients, and label copy, filed by the responsible person whose name is on the label. Facility registration (§607) is the companion duty.

In the EU, every ingredient present in the form of a nanomaterial must be followed by the word “nano” in brackets in the ingredient list (Regulation 1223/2009, Article 19(1)(f)). The US has no comparable cosmetic label rule.

21 CFR 701.13 requires the net quantity of contents on US cosmetic labels — fluid measure for liquids (at 68 °F), avoirdupois weight for solids — and a separate metric statement is allowed; products under the FPLA must carry both US customary and metric units.

The EU caps methyl- and ethylparaben at 0.4% each (0.8% combined, as acid) and propyl-/butylparaben at 0.14% combined, with a nappy-area ban for products for children under three (Annex V No 12 and 12a). The US sets no federal limit.

Phenoxyethanol is capped at 1.0% in EU cosmetics when used as a preservative (Annex V No 29). The US has no federal cap. Here is the exact rule, the labelling, and the mistakes we see in formula sheets.

In the EU, sorbic acid and its salts — including potassium sorbate — are capped at 0.6% as acid in cosmetics (Annex V No 4). The US sets no federal limit.