Quick answer — Regulatory and claims acronyms come up constantly across personal care, wellness and supplement marketing, and getting them right is foundational to launching compliantly. This glossary covers around 50 acronyms across five functional clusters: regulators (TGA, FDA, ACCC, FSANZ, NMPA), laws and standards (MoCRA, DSHEA, REACH, ISO 22716), regulatory documents (INCI, PIF, CPSR, CPNP), substance declarations (BSE, CMR, SVHC, PFAS) and testing methodologies (HRIPT, h-CLAT, RCT, RWE). Each entry is in plain English with geographic scope flagged.
Regulatory and claims terminology has its own dialect. CPSR, CPNP, MoCRA, RDS, h-CLAT — for the brand and product teams who have to navigate them, knowing what each one actually means is the difference between a confident launch and a stalled one. This glossary brings together the acronyms we encounter most often in our work across personal care, wellness and supplement brands. We've grouped them by function, sorted them by geographic scope, and written each entry in plain English.
What you'll find below
1. Who's watching: regulators and industry bodies
2. The rulebook: laws, standards and frameworks
3. The paperwork: regulatory documents and filings
4. The declarations: substance and safety statements
5. The proof: testing, studies and evidence
6. Frequently asked questions
1. Who's watching: regulators and industry bodies
Start with the agencies that set and enforce the rules. These are the bodies whose websites brand teams find themselves on most often — checking what's permitted, what's restricted, and what needs to be filed before a product can be sold.
TGA — Therapeutic Goods Administration. Regulates therapeutic goods including medicines, medical devices and complementary medicines. Sets the line between a therapeutic claim and a cosmetic claim. (Australia)
ACCC — Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Enforces the Australian Consumer Law, including the rules against misleading or deceptive advertising claims. (Australia)
AICIS — Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme. Regulates the introduction of industrial chemicals, including ingredients used in personal care, cosmetics and cleaning products. (Australia)
APVMA — Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority. Regulates veterinary medicines and animal health products before they can be sold in Australia. (Australia)
FSANZ — Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Sets food standards across both countries, including the permitted health and nutrient content claims that can appear on food packaging. (Australia and New Zealand)
Medsafe — New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority. Regulates therapeutic products in New Zealand. (New Zealand)
MPI — Ministry for Primary Industries (New Zealand). Oversees food safety, biosecurity and animal welfare. (New Zealand)
FDA — US Food and Drug Administration. Regulates food, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics and dietary supplements. The reference point for most global market-entry decisions. (United States)
FTC — US Federal Trade Commission. Enforces truth-in-advertising laws and requires brands to substantiate the claims they make in marketing. (United States)
NAD — National Advertising Division. A self-regulatory body that reviews advertising claims, often after a competitor challenges them. Less formal than the FTC but commercially significant. (United States)
USDA — United States Department of Agriculture. Oversees agricultural products including animal feed, organic certification and certain animal health products. (United States)
SCCS — Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety. Provides independent scientific opinions on the safety of cosmetic ingredients and informs the EU Cosmetics Regulation. (European Union)
NMPA — National Medical Products Administration. Regulates pharmaceuticals, medical devices and cosmetics in China, and sets pre-market approval requirements for "special use" cosmetics. (China)
MHLW — Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Oversees cosmetics, quasi-drugs and pharmaceuticals in Japan, including the additional functional claims permitted on "quasi-drug" products. (Japan)
2. The rulebook: laws, standards and frameworks
Beneath the regulators sit the laws, standards and frameworks they enforce. Understanding which framework applies in which market is the foundation of any global launch plan.
ACL — Australian Consumer Law. The national law administered by the ACCC and state-level fair trading bodies that prohibits misleading and deceptive conduct, including false or unsubstantiated marketing claims. (Australia)
DSHEA — Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (1994). US legislation establishing the regulatory framework for dietary supplements, including the structure or function claims permitted without pre-market approval. (United States)
MoCRA — Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (2022). The most significant overhaul of US cosmetic regulation in decades. Introduces facility registration, product listing, adverse event reporting and safety substantiation requirements. (United States)
Proposition 65 — California's right-to-know law requiring products sold in the state to carry warnings if they contain any of around 900 listed chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive harm. (United States, California)
REACH — Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. The EU regulation governing chemical substances, including those imported above defined volume thresholds. (European Union)
CLP — Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation. The EU framework for classifying hazardous substances and ensuring consistent labelling and packaging across the bloc. (European Union)
GHS — Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. The United Nations standard underpinning hazard communication, including the format of Safety Data Sheets. (Global)
GMP / cGMP — Good Manufacturing Practice, or current Good Manufacturing Practice. Standards ensuring products are consistently produced and controlled to defined quality requirements. The "c" used in US contexts emphasises that expectations evolve. (Global)
ISO 22716 — The international standard for Good Manufacturing Practices specifically for cosmetics. Often the simplest way to demonstrate GMP compliance for an EU launch. (Global)
OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Publishes the internationally agreed test guidelines used to assess chemical safety, including the non-animal sensitisation methods now accepted in most jurisdictions. (Global)
3. The paperwork: regulatory documents and filings
These are the dossiers, certificates and notifications that make up a regulatory file. Knowing which document goes where, and in what order, is how regulatory work actually gets done.
INCI — International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. The standardised naming system that appears on cosmetic ingredient lists worldwide. An ingredient generally cannot be sold as a cosmetic in most markets without one. (Global)
SDS / MSDS — Safety Data Sheet, formerly Material Safety Data Sheet. Sets out the hazards and safe handling of a chemical substance, formatted to GHS standards. (Global)
COA — Certificate of Analysis. A batch-specific quality document confirming an ingredient meets its specifications. (Global)
TDS — Technical Data Sheet. Provides formulation guidance to manufacturing partners, including suggested use levels, solubility and compatibility. (Global)
RDS — Regulatory Data Sheet. Consolidates regulatory compliance declarations for an ingredient, including statements on origin, allergens and substances of concern. (Global)
RIS — Regulatory Information Sheet, sometimes Regulatory Information Summary. A compilation document used in the EU that brings SDS, COA, TDS and RDS data together with CLP compliance into a single dossier. (European Union)
PIF — Product Information File. The mandatory comprehensive dossier required for every cosmetic product sold in the EU, held and maintained by the Responsible Person. (European Union)
CPSR — Cosmetic Product Safety Report. The safety assessment that sits inside the PIF, compiled by a qualified safety assessor. (European Union)
CPNP — Cosmetic Products Notification Portal. The online portal where cosmetic products must be notified before being placed on the EU market. (European Union)
4. The declarations: substance and safety statements
Inside the documents above sit specific statements about what an ingredient is, what it isn't, and what it doesn't contain. These declarations are routine but consequential. A missing or inadequate statement can hold up a market entry.
BSE — Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy. Statements confirming an ingredient is free from BSE risk are standard in regulatory documentation, particularly for ingredients of animal origin. (Global)
GMO — Genetically Modified Organism. Statements declaring whether an ingredient is derived from or contains GMOs are required in most cosmetic and food dossiers. (Global)
IFRA — International Fragrance Association. Sets safe-use standards for fragrance ingredients, supported by an IFRA Certificate confirming a fragrance complies with current restrictions. (Global)
PFAS — Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances. A class of synthetic "forever chemicals" facing increasing restriction worldwide. France has announced specific PFAS bans, and declarations of PFAS absence are increasingly required in cosmetic dossiers. (Global)
CMR — Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or Reprotoxic. The classification for substances of highest concern under EU Cosmetics Regulation. Substances classified CMR Category 1A, 1B or 2 are generally prohibited in cosmetics. (European Union)
SVHC — Substances of Very High Concern. A list maintained under EU REACH covering chemicals with serious health or environmental impacts. Declarations of SVHC content, or absence, are routinely required. (European Union)
NAT — Non-Animal Testing. Statements confirming an ingredient or finished product has not been tested on animals, a legal requirement for cosmetics in the EU and a growing expectation in other markets. (EU, and increasingly global)
5. The proof: testing, studies and evidence
Finally, the methodologies and study types that generate the evidence behind every claim. Match the right test to the right claim and the right market, and substantiation becomes straightforward. Mismatch them and it becomes expensive. These entries are sorted by type, since they are globally applicable methodologies rather than geographically bound.
In Vitro — Latin for "in glass." Research conducted outside a living organism, typically on cell cultures or biochemical assays in a laboratory. (General methodology)
Ex Vivo — Latin for "out of the living." Research conducted on tissue removed from a living organism and studied in an external environment, such as skin explants. (General methodology)
h-CLAT — human Cell Line Activation Test. An OECD-validated non-animal test for skin sensitisation potential, using a human-derived cell line. (Pre-clinical assay)
DPRA — Direct Peptide Reactivity Assay. An OECD-validated non-animal test for skin sensitisation potential, based on a substance's reactivity with model peptides. (Pre-clinical assay)
KeratinoSens — An OECD-validated non-animal test for skin sensitisation, using a luciferase reporter gene cell line to detect oxidative stress responses. (Pre-clinical assay)
HRIPT — Human Repeat Insult Patch Test. A clinical test on human volunteers used to confirm a finished product is not a primary irritant or sensitiser. Often the final safety checkpoint before launch. (Clinical safety)
RCT — Randomised Controlled Trial. A study design where participants are randomly allocated to intervention or control groups to minimise bias. Considered the gold standard for efficacy evidence. (Study design)
RWE — Real-World Evidence. Data derived from real-world product use, including observational studies, registries and product performance data. (Study design)
GLP — Good Laboratory Practice. The quality system governing the conduct of non-clinical safety studies. Regulators expect GLP compliance for safety data they will rely on. (Quality framework)
Frequently asked questions
What does INCI stand for in cosmetics?
INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. It is the standardised global naming system used on cosmetic ingredient lists worldwide. An ingredient generally cannot be sold as a cosmetic in most markets without an INCI name, and the system ensures consumers and regulators can identify the same substance regardless of language or market.
What is the difference between MoCRA and DSHEA?
MoCRA, the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022, governs cosmetics in the US, introducing requirements for facility registration, product listing, adverse event reporting and safety substantiation. DSHEA, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, governs dietary supplements in the US, allowing structure and function claims without pre-market approval but requiring substantiation. They apply to different product categories and address different regulatory questions.
What does CPNP mean in EU cosmetics regulation?
CPNP stands for Cosmetic Products Notification Portal. It is the EU online portal where cosmetic products must be notified before they can be placed on the European market. The notification is the responsibility of the Responsible Person and is required for every individual product, not just every brand or formulation family.
What is a Product Information File (PIF)?
A Product Information File is the mandatory comprehensive dossier required for every cosmetic product sold in the EU. It contains the formulation, safety assessment (the CPSR), manufacturing data, claims substantiation and other technical information. The PIF must be held and maintained by the Responsible Person, kept up to date, and made available to competent authorities on request.
What does HRIPT mean in cosmetic testing?
HRIPT stands for Human Repeat Insult Patch Test. It is a clinical test conducted on human volunteers to confirm that a finished cosmetic product is not a primary skin irritant or sensitiser. It is typically the final safety checkpoint before a product launches, particularly for leave-on formulations and products targeted at sensitive populations.
What is the difference between in vitro and ex vivo testing?
In vitro testing, Latin for "in glass," is conducted outside a living organism, typically on cell cultures or biochemical assays in a laboratory. Ex vivo testing, Latin for "out of the living," is conducted on tissue that has been removed from a living organism and studied in an external environment, such as human skin explants. Ex vivo testing sits closer to in vivo, that is in a living organism, conditions and is increasingly used in cosmetic efficacy studies.
How Parallaxis helps
Acronyms aside, the real work is using these frameworks well: building substantiation that holds up under scrutiny, choosing the right evidence for the claim you want to make, and sequencing regulatory work so it accelerates rather than delays your launch. That is where Parallaxis comes in. If you would like a hand translating any of this into a plan for your brand, get in touch.