Beauty & Personal Care

For cosmetic items, you may not make claims or advertising statements on packaging and online sales pages that do not comply with Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Cosmetics claims must comply with all statutory rules and general agreements as described in Regulation (EC) No 655/2013.

If you make a claim, you must adhere to the following points:

• Comply with legal requirements: do not claim that items meet legal requirements.
• Accuracy: if you claim that a certain ingredient is in your item, this must actually be the case. Statements about the properties of a particular ingredient are not permitted if it makes it seem as if the final item also has those properties when that is not the case.
• Evidence: claims must be substantiated with sufficient and verifiable evidence.
• Honesty: it is not permitted to claim certain characteristics if similar types of items have similar characteristics. If an item only works in combination with another item, this must be stated. Claims may not go further than can be substantiated.
• Fairness: the claims made must be based on facts and may not be negative towards ingredients or competition.
• Informed decision-making: statements must be clear and understandable to the average buyer. Claims must also provide information that allows the buyer to make an informed choice.

In addition to these conditions, it is (also) not permitted to make medical claims for your item or to claim that cosmetics are cruelty-free. This is not allowed because it has not been permitted since 2004 and therefore does not say anything new about the item.

We want to work with you to ensure we offer our customers safe cosmetic items. To do this, we must adhere to the applicable legislation for cosmetic items in the EU, NL, and BE. To make this easier, we have compiled the information and guidelines below. Please ensure you are aware of the legal requirements for selling cosmetics.

“Any substance or mixture intended to be placed in contact with the external parts of the human body (epidermis, hair system, nails, lips and external genital organs) or with the teeth and the mucous membranes of the oral cavity with a view exclusively or mainly to cleaning them, perfuming them, changing their appearance, protecting them, keeping them in good condition or correcting body odours” (Article 2.1a of the Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.).

To prevent the bulk purchase and resale of items within our beauty offer, customers have a limit of 9 items per EAN per order. This ensures that items do not end up in grey markets, which refers to the trade of items through unofficial distribution channels. This rule applies to the item categories listed below.

To ensure customer safety, the Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 mandates that every item must be assessed and deemed safe by a qualified safety assessor before being sold. The responsible organization (also known as the Responsible Person) is an individual or company and must always be able to present a valid Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR) from the safety assessor. This report must state that the item is safe and complies with all legal safety requirements.

As a check, we may ask you to provide this safety assessment. Cosmetics must be manufactured and packaged according to strict hygiene rules (ISO 22716), which cannot simply be done in a kitchen.

If there is a serious suspicion that your offer may be dangerous to the customer, we may temporarily take your items offline. We do this to assess the potentially dangerous items. The responsible organization for the item is obliged to ensure that the correct documentation is available, for example, when an item assessment is required.

It is, of course, not permitted to offer items containing prohibited ingredients, such as Lilial (BUTYLPHENYL METHYLPROPIONAL). Some substances may be present in limited quantities. Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 contains lists of:

• Prohibited substances (Annex II)
• Substances allowed in cosmetic items with specified limits (Annexes III, IV, V, and VI)

Regulation (EU) 2024/996 provides an update to the 2009 regulation. It states that several substances, from a certain point in time (see date in parentheses), may only be present in a lower concentration in a cosmetic item:

• Retinol (Retinyl Acetate and Retinyl Palmitate) (1 May 2027)
• Arbutin (Alpha-Arbutin) (1 November 2025)
• 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor (1 May 2026)
• Genistein (1 November 2025)
• Daidzein (1 November 2025)
• Kojic Acid (1 November 2025)
• Triclosan (31 December 2025)
• Triclocarban (31 December 2025)

The regulation addresses these INCI names and details the new permitted maximum for each substance. It is important that you comply with this.

These lists of substances and rules change regularly. Ensure that you keep the safety assessment (CPSR) updated if there are changes to the item and/or legislation. This way, you ensure that your items do not contain any recently prohibited substances and remain within the set limits. Also, make sure that the packaging and online information are updated with the latest requirements for content, usage instructions, and warnings. Use the DIY Compliance Manager to check if your ingredients comply with current laws and regulations.

For items (mostly sunscreens) containing Octocrylene and Benzophenone-3, maximum concentrations apply. This means the following:

• Benzophenone-3 may be used up to a maximum concentration of 6% as a UV filter in items for the face, hands, and lips, with the exception of items in aerosol dispensers and spray pumps;
• Benzophenone-3 may be used up to a maximum concentration of 2% as a UV filter in body items, including items in aerosol dispensers or spray pumps;
• In other items, Benzophenone-3 may be used as a UV filter up to a maximum concentration of 0.5%;
• The use of Octocrylene as a UV filter in items in aerosol dispensers may be used up to a maximum concentration of 9%;
• The use of Octocrylene as a UV filter in other items may be used up to a maximum concentration of 10%.

Additionally, it is mandatory to label items containing Benzophenone with the warning text: “Contains Benzophenone-3.”

Do you have questions about the maximum concentrations of substances in your items? Please ask your supplier. More information can be found on the EU website.

For every cosmetic item, mandatory information about the item and its safe use must be available to the customer on the item itself, on the outer packaging, and, for online sales, on the item's sales page. If it is not possible to label the packaging, a small card with information can be added. The following minimum mandatory information must be accessible to customers (and authorities) on the item, its packaging, and the online sales page:

• the cosmetic function of the item (e.g., body lotion, baby shampoo, etc.);
• ingredients (in INCI nomenclature);
• manufacturer's name & address;
• country of origin;
• nominal content (in g or ml);
• number of pieces in packaging;
• shelf life of unopened item;
• period after opening (in months);
• item language;
• instructions and warnings for safe use (e.g., for hair dyes)

For cosmetics, it is mandatory to list the ingredients; for this, you use the attribute Ingredients. A clear and correct ingredient list is mandatory, so that everyone can understand the composition of the cosmetic item. The list must be drawn up in descending order of weight at the time of addition to the cosmetic item. The ingredients must be listed with the correct INCI names (International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient). The European ingredient database Cosmile provides information about cosmetic ingredients. This allows customers with ingredient-specific allergies, for example, to easily identify the ingredients.

To be allowed to sell a cosmetic item in the EU, it must have a responsible party (also known as the Responsible Person) with an address within the EU, and the item must be registered by the Responsible Person in the central EU system (Cosmetic Product Notification Portal, CPNP). Do you make cosmetic items yourself? Or are you the person/company that imports items from outside into the European Union? In that case, you are automatically the responsible party according to the law, unless this responsibility has already been taken over by another person/company (notifying party and mention on the label). If you are responsible, ensure that your items comply with all requirements AND that your items are correctly registered (notified) in the CPNP. Unregistered cosmetic items may not be sold in the EU. To confirm that your items comply with the guidelines, we may, among other things, request confirmation of the CPNP registration from you.

For cosmetic items, no claims or advertising statements may be made, either on the label or on online sales pages, that conflict with the basic criteria described in Regulation 655/2013 and its associated guidelines. This Regulation states that claims must comply with all legal requirements and that claims must not mislead the customer or any other end-user. Essentially, claims must meet the following criteria:

• Compliance with legal requirements
  Do not claim that an item complies with legal requirements.
• Accuracy
  If it is claimed that an item contains a certain ingredient, this ingredient must also be present in the item. Statements about the properties of a specific ingredient must not create the impression that the final item also possesses those properties when this is not the case.
• Evidence Claims must be supported by sufficient and verifiable evidence.
• Honesty
  It is not permitted to claim specific characteristics if similar items have the same characteristics. If the function of an item depends on its use in combination with another item, this must be clearly indicated. Claims may not go beyond what can be substantiated.
• Fairness
  Claims must be objective and must not be derogatory towards ingredients or competitors.
• Informed decision-making
  Statements must be clear, accurate, relevant, and understandable for the average end-user. Claims must also contain information that enables end-users to make an informed choice.

Go to your seller account. Select "Items" and set a filter:

• on the above item categories under Item category/label and on
• Content Weak (offline) and Weak (online)

The sale of certain items is regulated due to legal requirements and regulations. As a partner, you are always responsible for ensuring that your offer complies with these. Pay extra attention when you want to offer cosmetics, especially when you import the items from abroad and offer them on the Dutch or Belgian market. All cosmetics must, among other things, comply with the European Cosmetics Regulation.

Items for the Dutch market must have Dutch packaging language. Items for the Belgian market must have at least Dutch and French packaging language.

You can find more information about the Dutch guidelines on the website of the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). You can find more information about the Belgian guidelines at the Federal Public Service for Health.

via bol, items are sold in all kinds of sizes, styles, and colours. The more specific the description of the item, the faster our shared customers can find what suits them. Instead of using the term 'skin colour', please use a more specific description for the colour of your item, such as beige, brown, or light pink.

The safety and health of our customers is our top priority. It is therefore important that partners selling teeth whitening products adhere to the legally permitted maximum percentage of hydrogen peroxide. Therefore, it is mandatory to specify the percentage of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) contained in the item under the 'percentage hydrogen peroxide H2O2' attribute.

It is not allowed to offer eyelash serums with prostaglandin analogues via bol. The use of eyelash serums with prostaglandin analogues can cause permanent eye damage. Although it is not legally forbidden to sell cosmetics with this substance, we want to protect the health of our customers.

Prostaglandin analogues
Prostaglandin analogues are medicines that resemble natural prostaglandins in the body and copy their effect. They are used to influence bodily processes, such as lowering eye pressure, inducing contractions during labour, or protecting the gastric mucosa.

Safety information is provided on the packaging of some items. This information is important because it ensures our customers receive items of high quality and safety. Additionally, European guidelines require you to include this safety information on the item page. More information about these regulations can be found here. The mandatory safety information can be found on the item's packaging. Detailed safety information is provided on the Safety Data Sheet (SDS). The SDS can be requested from the item's partner. SDS is important for product categories containing items with hazardous substances. Examples include items such as superglue, laundry detergent, and dish soap. For each item, fill in the required characteristics. These must be identical to the safety information on the item's packaging label:

• SIGNAL WORD: 'Danger' or 'Warning';
• HAZARD STATEMENT(S): on the label, these can be found under the heading 'hazard statements'. These are identifiable by the H-phrases on the SDS;
• PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENT(S): these are the recommended precautionary measures. These are identifiable by the P-phrases on the SDS.