Safety Warning
Safety Warning is a mandatory label used across UK cosmetics and skincare to highlight ingredients that require extra care, such as potential irritants, allergens or substances restricted by UK and EU regulations.
How it works in skincare
In cosmetics and skincare formulations, a Safety Warning appears on packaging when an ingredient has been assessed by the Scientific Advisory Group on Chemical Safety or under UK REACH and is deemed to need specific usage limits, patch testing advice or avoidance instructions for certain groups. It ensures consumers can make informed choices while complying with the Cosmetic Products Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 as retained in UK law.
Key benefits
- Promotes responsible product use
- Helps identify personal sensitivities
- Supports informed shopping decisions
- Encourages patch testing where advised
- Increases transparency around restricted substances
- Builds consumer confidence in regulated formulas
Best for
all skin types when used as directed, sensitive skin (with caution), allergy-prone skin
Where it comes from
Safety Warnings themselves are not an ingredient but a regulatory label; they are applied to naturally derived or synthetic cosmetic ingredients that have undergone safety assessment, ranging from plant extracts and essential oils to minerals and laboratory-synthesised compounds.