A lipstick range rarely ships as one product — it ships as a shade card, sometimes twenty or thirty variants deep. Each of those shades is a separate chargeable variant under CDSCO, and each colourant used across the range has to trace back to a permitted Colour Index number under Indian rules, whether or not it is permitted in the brand’s home market.

This guide covers CDSCO import registration for lipstick and lip colour under the Cosmetics Rules, 2020 — the applicable standards, colourant compliance, documents, labelling, the registration process, fees, timeline and the reconciliation issue that most often stalls large shade ranges.

How Lipstick and Lip Colour Is Regulated Under CDSCO

No cosmetic — lipstick and lip colour included — may be imported into India unless it is registered by the Central Licensing Authority under Rule 12(1) of the Cosmetics Rules, 2020. Registration is tied to the specific brand, formulation, shade and manufacturing premises, not granted at company level.

Every cosmetic imported into India is registered against the Fourth Schedule category it falls under, using Form COS-1 filed on the CDSCO SUGAM portal. Approval is issued as an Import Registration Certificate in Form COS-2, valid for five years. Lipstick and lip colour falls under the Colour cosmetics / lip care preparations category of the Fourth Schedule.

Applicable Indian Standards for Lipstick

Indian Standard	Product
IS 9875	Lipstick
IS 10284	Lipsalve

Documents Required for Lipstick CDSCO Registration

Every Form COS-1 application needs the core document set described above. On top of this base, lipstick and lip colour need:

• CoA against IS 9875 — melting point, breaking point, drop test, perfume and rancidity, and freedom from grittiness.
• Colourant declaration listing every colour by Colour Index (CI) number, mapped to IS 4707 (Part 1) and the Tenth Schedule.
• Heavy metals test report on the colourants: arsenic not more than 2 ppm, lead not more than 20 ppm, other heavy metals not more than 100 ppm in total.
• Shade-wise composition sheet — each shade is a separate variant and attracts a USD 50 fee.
• Declaration that no lead or arsenic compounds have been used for colouring.
• Microbiological report.

Label Requirements Specific to Lipstick

• Shade name and shade number on the unit pack.
• Ingredient list — not mandatory where net content is 30 g or less, but recommended.
• Registration Certificate number preceded by “RC” or “Reg. Cert. No.” on the unit pack.

Step-by-Step: CDSCO Import Registration Process

1. Classify the product. Confirm it meets the definition of “cosmetic” and map it to the Colour cosmetics / lip care preparations category of the Fourth Schedule.
2. Appoint the Indian Agent. Execute the Authorisation covering the full shade range, notarised and apostilled or embassy-attested.
3. Assemble the technical dossier. Ingredient list with INCI names and percentages, the CoA against IS 9875, a shade-wise composition sheet, colourant CI-number declarations for every shade, heavy metals data, labels for every shade and the Free Sale Certificate covering the full shade range.
4. Align the label to Chapter VI. Shade name and number must appear on the unit pack.
5. Pay the fee on Bharatkosh. Compute category + site + variant (per shade) fees and retain the challan.
6. File Form COS-1 on SUGAM. Upload the full checklist including the correlation chart reconciling every shade across documents.
7. Respond to CDSCO queries. For lipstick, queries most often concern colourants that are permitted abroad but absent from India’s IS 4707 (Part 1) list, and shade lists across the Authorisation, FSC and Form COS-1 that don’t reconcile.
8. Receive Form COS-2. Print the RC number on every unit pack before goods are cleared for sale.

Fees and Timeline

Government fees are paid online via Bharatkosh: USD 1,000 for the colour cosmetics / lip care category, USD 500 per manufacturing site, and USD 50 for every shade in the range — so a 24-shade lipstick line attracts 24 x USD 50 in variant fees alone.

Typical approval time is 4 to 6 months from acceptance of a complete application; large shade ranges with reconciliation issues across documents are a common source of added delay. The Registration Certificate is valid for five years.

Common Mistakes That Trigger a CDSCO Query

• Use of a CI number not listed in India — a colourant permitted in the EU or US but absent from IS 4707 (Part 1) and the Tenth Schedule will not be accepted, regardless of its regulatory status elsewhere.
• Shade lists that don’t reconcile — the shade range in the Authorisation, the Free Sale Certificate and Form COS-1 must match exactly; even one shade named or numbered differently across the three documents triggers a query.
• Missing heavy metals data on colourants.
• Apostille or attestation defects on the Authorisation or FSC.

Related Approvals to Plan Alongside CDSCO

• LMPC registration — lipstick is a pre-packaged commodity requiring MRP, net quantity and importer declarations on the pack.
• DGFT Importer-Exporter Code — mandatory for any importer of record before the first consignment.
• EPR registration for plastic waste — lipstick bullets and cases fall under CPCB’s EPR framework.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CDSCO registration mandatory for imported lipstick?

Yes. Under Rule 12(1) of the Cosmetics Rules, 2020, no lipstick or lip colour can be imported into India unless it is registered with CDSCO and holds a valid Import Registration Certificate (Form COS-2).

What is the difference between IS 9875 and IS 10284?

IS 9875 covers lipstick, while IS 10284 covers lipsalve — a related but distinct product format with its own specification.

Are all lipstick colourants permitted in India?

No. Every colourant must be listed by CI number under IS 4707 (Part 1) and the Tenth Schedule. A colourant permitted in the EU or US but absent from the Indian list cannot be used.

Does each lipstick shade need a separate fee?

Yes. Every shade is treated as a separate variant, chargeable at USD 50 each, and must be individually listed in the Authorisation, the Free Sale Certificate and Form COS-1.

How long does lipstick CDSCO registration take?

Typically 4 to 6 months from acceptance of a complete application; large shade ranges with reconciliation issues across documents are a common source of added delay.

What heavy metal limits apply to lipstick colourants?

Arsenic must not exceed 2 ppm, lead must not exceed 20 ppm, and other heavy metals combined must not exceed 100 ppm, all calculated per the Cosmetics Rules, 2020 limits.

Why Choose PCN India Global

• Shade-range mapping — we structure large shade collections cleanly across the Authorisation, FSC and Form COS-1 to avoid reconciliation queries.
• Colourant compliance — every CI number checked against IS 4707 (Part 1) and the Tenth Schedule before filing.
• Dossier assembly — the full core document set plus shade-wise composition sheets prepared and cross-checked.
• Label compliance — Chapter VI review before you print packaging.
• End-to-end SUGAM filing — application, query response and Form COS-2 grant managed for you.
• Adjacent approvals — LMPC, DGFT/IEC and EPR coordinated alongside your CDSCO registration.

PCN India Global manages the complete CDSCO import registration process for lipstick and lip colour — from shade-range structuring and colourant compliance to Form COS-2 grant and five-year renewal tracking. Contact us: WhatsApp +91 80109 05029, email bdm@pcnindiaglobal.com, or start your application today.

Related Compliance Guides

• Legal Metrology (LMPC) Registration
• DGFT License Services (Importer-Exporter Code)
• EPR Registration for Plastic Waste