Concealers, colour correctors and under-eye brighteners are precision colour cosmetics, and each must be registered with CDSCO under the Cosmetics Rules, 2020 before import. Registration is product-level and tied to the specific formulation, its shades and the factory.

Because many concealers are used around the eye, they can also inherit the tighter eye-area colour rules — so the pigment list is the heart of the filing.

Is CDSCO Registration Mandatory for Concealer & Colour Corrector?

Yes. Concealer and colour corrector are Fourth Schedule colour cosmetics and require CDSCO registration before import. The certificate covers the declared shades and formats (stick, liquid, cream).

The application is filed by the overseas manufacturer or, in practice, its Authorised Indian Agent.

Applicable Standard for Concealer & Colour Corrector

No product-specific Indian Standard applies, so the base is assessed against the country-of-origin standard plus the Cosmetics Rules, 2020, with the CoA drawn against the manufacturer’s finished-product specification. The colour is the controlled element: every pigment is declared by CI number and mapped to IS 4707 (Part 1) and the Tenth Schedule.

Where a concealer or corrector is marketed for the eye area, its colourants must be from the narrower eye-area permitted list, and heavy metals on the pigments are checked against the general limits (As ≤ 2 ppm, Pb ≤ 20 ppm, others ≤ 100 ppm total).

The Indian colour list is the only list that counts: a pigment permitted in the EU or US but not listed in IS 4707 (Part 1) and the Tenth Schedule will be refused. Map every Colour Index (CI) number to the Indian permitted list before you file.

The Permitted-Colour List Is the Gate

Concealer does not raise a drug question, but it has the same hard gate as any colour cosmetic: the pigment must be on IS 4707 (Part 1) and the Tenth Schedule. An eye-area corrector additionally has to draw from the narrower eye-area colour list. A pigment cleared abroad but absent from the Indian list is the number-one rejection.

Documents Required for Concealer & Colour Corrector CDSCO Registration

Every Form COS-1 application needs the core document set — covering letter; First Schedule authorisation; Second Schedule Part-I; ingredient list with percentages; inner and outer labels; specification and method of testing; finished-product Certificate of Analysis; country-of-origin manufacturing licence or marketing authorisation; original Free Sale Certificate; non-animal-testing declaration; heavy-metal and hexachlorophene declaration; GMP / ISO 22716 certificate; correlation chart; Bharatkosh receipt; and the signed Form COS-1. On top of this base, Concealer & Colour Corrector needs:

• Certificate of Analysis against the country-of-origin finished-product specification — pH, appearance, non-volatile matter, preservative content and microbiological limits.
• Colourant declaration by CI number, mapped to IS 4707 (Part 1) and the Tenth Schedule (eye-area list where used near the eye).
• Heavy-metals report on the colourants (As ≤ 2 ppm, Pb ≤ 20 ppm, other heavy metals ≤ 100 ppm total).
• Shade-wise composition sheet — each shade is a separate variant at USD 50.
• Declaration that no lead or arsenic compounds have been used for colouring.
• Microbiological report.

Label Requirements Specific to Concealer & Colour Corrector

• Shade name and number on the unit pack.
• Registration Certificate number preceded by “RC” or “Reg. Cert. No.”.
• Directions for use and any eye-area caution.
• Net content by weight or fluid measure.

Step-by-Step: CDSCO Import Registration Process

1. Classify the product. Confirm it meets the definition of a cosmetic under Section 3(aaa) and map it to the colour cosmetics category under the Fourth Schedule — this drives the fee and the certificate scope.
2. Appoint the Authorised Indian Agent. Execute the First Schedule authorisation, signed jointly by manufacturer and agent, then notarised and apostilled (Hague states) or embassy-attested.
3. Assemble the technical dossier. Ingredient list with INCI names and percentages, the finished-product CoA against the applicable standard, inner and outer labels, GMP / ISO 22716 evidence and the Free Sale Certificate.
4. Align the label to Chapter VI. Indian labelling is a top rejection reason; India-specific content may be stickered onto the unit pack at a bonded warehouse before clearance.
5. Pay the fee on Bharatkosh. Compute category + site + variant fees, pay online under head 0210041040000-00-1 and retain the acknowledgement receipt.
6. File Form COS-1 on SUGAM. Upload the full checklist, including the correlation chart that ties each product serial number in COS-1 to the Free Sale Certificate and the authorisation.
7. Respond to CDSCO queries. Reply within the stipulated period — each query effectively restarts the clock, so a clean first filing is the biggest lever on timeline.
8. Receive Form COS-2. Print the Registration Certificate number on every unit pack, with the holder’s name and address, before the goods are cleared for sale.

Fees and Timeline

Government fees are paid online via Bharatkosh under head 0210041040000-00-1: USD 1,000 for the colour cosmetics category, USD 500 per manufacturing site and USD 50 per variant (shade, fragrance or formulation). A duplicate certificate is USD 200, permission for a novel ingredient is USD 500, and inspection of an overseas manufacturing site, if ordered, is USD 5,000.

Typical approval time is four to six months from acceptance of a complete application, and each CDSCO query effectively restarts the clock. The Registration Certificate is valid for five years from the date of issue and must be re-registered before it lapses.

Common Mistakes That Trigger a CDSCO Query

• A CI pigment not listed in IS 4707 (Part 1) and the Tenth Schedule.
• Eye-area concealers using colours from the general (not eye-area) list.
• Shade lists that do not reconcile across the three documents.
• Shades under-declared for the USD 50 variant fee.

Related Approvals to Plan Alongside CDSCO

• DGFT Importer-Exporter Code — mandatory for any importer of record before the first consignment.
• LMPC registration (Legal Metrology) — concealer & colour corrector is a pre-packaged commodity requiring MRP, net quantity, importer details, country of origin and consumer-care details on the pack.
• Wholesale licence (Form 20B / 21B) — where the Indian agent also distributes drugs alongside cosmetics.
• Drug import licence (Form 10) — where a therapeutic claim or a pharmacologically active ingredient makes the product a drug rather than a cosmetic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CDSCO registration mandatory for imported concealer?

Yes. Concealer and colour corrector are Fourth Schedule colour cosmetics and cannot be imported until registered under Rule 12(1) of the Cosmetics Rules, 2020, with the certificate issued in Form COS-2.

Is there an Indian Standard for concealer?

No product-specific Ninth Schedule standard applies; the base is assessed against the country-of-origin specification plus the Cosmetics Rules, with pigments on IS 4707 (Part 1) and the Tenth Schedule.

Do under-eye concealers face extra colour rules?

Yes — a concealer marketed for the eye area must use colours from the narrower eye-area permitted list under IS 4707 (Part 1).

How are concealer shades charged?

Each shade is a separate variant at USD 50 and must appear in the authorisation, the Free Sale Certificate and Form COS-1.

How long does registration take and how long is it valid?

Around four to six months for a complete application; the certificate is valid for five years and must be re-registered before expiry.

Do we need an Authorised Indian Agent?

In practice yes — the agent files on the First Schedule format and carries statutory liability for the product in India.

Why Choose PCN India Global

• Claims triage — we confirm upfront whether your concealer & colour corrector is cleanly cosmetic or at risk of drug reclassification.
• Category mapping — the correct Fourth Schedule category and test scope confirmed for your formulation.
• Dossier assembly — the full core document set prepared and cross-checked against the CDSCO checklist.
• Label compliance — a Chapter VI review to correct any non-compliant or therapeutic wording before you print packaging.
• End-to-end SUGAM filing — application, query response and the Form COS-2 grant managed for you.
• Adjacent approvals — LMPC, DGFT/IEC and, where relevant, PESO/AYUSH coordinated alongside your CDSCO registration.

PCN India Global manages the complete CDSCO import registration process for concealer & colour corrector — from claims triage and category mapping to dossier assembly, SUGAM filing and the Form COS-2 grant. WhatsApp or call +91 9289587478, or email admin@pcnindiaglobal.com, to get your import registration underway.

Related Compliance Guides

• Legal Metrology (LMPC) Registration
• DGFT License Services (Importer-Exporter Code)
• CDSCO Registration for Foundation, BB & CC Cream