Cleansing creams and milks, cleansing tissues, makeup-remover wipes and dedicated lip & eye removers are the gentle end of the cleansing shelf, and every one needs CDSCO registration under the Cosmetics Rules, 2020 before import. Registration is product-level and tied to the specific formulation and factory.

None of these formats has a dedicated Indian Standard, so the file rests on the country-of-origin specification — with a pre-soaked wipe adding a substrate and a preservation dimension that a bottle does not.

Is CDSCO Registration Mandatory for Cleansing Cream, Milk & Wipes?

Yes. A cleansing cream, milk, tissue or remover wipe is a Fourth Schedule cosmetic and needs CDSCO registration before the first consignment. The absence of an Indian Standard changes the evidence base to the country-of-origin standard plus the Cosmetics Rules, not the duty to register.

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

Applicable Standard for Cleansing Cream, Milk & Wipes

No Ninth Schedule Indian Standard applies to a cleansing cream, milk, tissue or wipe, so the product is assessed against the country-of-origin standard plus the Cosmetics Rules, 2020. The Certificate of Analysis is drawn against the manufacturer’s finished-product specification — pH, appearance, preservative content and microbiological limits.

A pre-soaked makeup-remover wipe or cleansing tissue is assessed on the lotion it carries, not the fabric, but the preservative system matters more because a wet wipe is a higher microbiological risk; the microbiological report and preservative-efficacy data are read closely. A lip & eye remover marketed for the eye area inherits the eye-area caution.

No Ninth Schedule Indian Standard applies: because there is no product-specific IS for this category, CDSCO assesses the finished product against the standards and specifications of the country of origin plus all the requirements of the Cosmetics Rules, 2020. Build the Certificate of Analysis against the country-of-origin specification and keep that specification in the dossier.

Preservation and the Eye-Area Remover

Cleansing creams, milks and wipes are firmly cosmetic; the classification question rarely arises. The two watch-points are practical rather than legal: the higher preservation risk of a wet wipe, and the eye-area status of a lip & eye remover, which inherits the eye-area caution and any colour restriction if it is tinted.

Documents Required for Cleansing Cream, Milk & Wipes 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, Cleansing Cream, Milk & Wipes needs:

• Certificate of Analysis against the country-of-origin finished-product specification — pH, appearance, preservative content and microbiological limits.
• Country-of-origin standard and specification, since no Ninth Schedule Indian Standard applies.
• Preservative-system declaration and preservative-efficacy (challenge) data — critical for pre-soaked wipes and tissues.
• Microbiological limits report.
• For lip & eye removers: an ophthalmological safety / eye-irritation assessment.
• Substrate information for wipes and tissues (the impregnating lotion is the registered cosmetic).

Label Requirements Specific to Cleansing Cream, Milk & Wipes

• Directions for use, including any rinse-off or wipe-off instruction.
• Full ingredient list preceded by “INGREDIENTS” — not required for packs of 60 ml/30 g or less.
• Net content — fluid measure for creams/milks, count and net weight for wipes/tissues.
• Any eye-area caution for a lip & eye remover.

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 skin care preparations 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 skin care preparations 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

• Missing preservative-efficacy data for a pre-soaked wipe or tissue.
• A CoA with no country-of-origin specification behind it.
• Eye-irritation data missing for a lip & eye remover.
• Formats and pack counts 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) — cleansing cream, milk & wipes 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 cleansing wipes and cleansing milk?

Yes. They are Fourth Schedule 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 a cleansing cream or wipe?

No. There is no product-specific Ninth Schedule standard, so the product is assessed against the country-of-origin specification plus the Cosmetics Rules.

Is the wipe fabric or the lotion registered?

The impregnating lotion is the registered cosmetic; the substrate is described in the file. Because a wet wipe is a higher microbiological risk, preservative-efficacy data is read closely.

Do lip and eye removers have extra requirements?

Yes — a remover marketed for the eye area inherits the eye-area caution and, if tinted, the eye-area colour rules, and an eye-irritation assessment strengthens the file.

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 cleansing cream, milk & wipes 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 cleansing cream, milk & wipes — 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 Cleansing Oil & Micellar Water