Your personalized regulatory consulting
Monday, July 21, 2025Experts

Creators of cosmetics start-ups, don't make these mistakes!

Créateurs de start-ups cosmétiques, ne faites pas ces erreurs !

Creating your own brand of beauty products is a dream for many cosmetics enthusiasts. Many new entrepreneurs embark on this adventure, without necessarily having any experience in the cosmetics sector. Even with the right support, they can make mistakes, especially when it comes to regulations. Cécile Gouzon, founder of ABCG Formation, warns against the mistakes she most often observes.

Reading time
~ 5 minutes

The PIF

The first mistake made by cosmetics brand creators is to have an incomplete Product Information File (PIF), or even one that is completely absent for the less informed.
The Product Information File is, as its name suggests, a file containing all the information on a cosmetic product. It is a mandatory and indispensable element which can be requested at any time by the authorities, such as the DGCCRF in France, from the Person Responsible for Marketing, generally the brand. A missing or incomplete PIF is punishable by a €15,000 fine and one year’s imprisonment in France.

The PIF contains all the data available on the product, such as the quantitative formula, information on the packaging, the label, stability and compatibility tests, the challenge test, the skin irritation test, the safety assessment, the certificate of compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices, proof of advanced claims, cosmetovigilance cases, etc. The PIF must therefore be complete from the moment the product is placed on the market, and updated regularly throughout the product’s life. The PIF must therefore be complete from the moment the product is placed on the market, and updated regularly throughout the product’s life.

Indispensable update

This content is only available to subscribersPREMIUM, PRO, STARTUP and TPE

Already subscribed?Log in

Discover our subscriptions

The leading scientific event, organized by Cosmetic Valley

ExpertsOther articles