AICIS business registration
Any business introducing (importing or manufacturing) industrial chemicals — including cosmetic ingredients — into Australia must register annually with AICIS.
Compliance checkingAsia-Pacific
Australia cosmetic regulations
AICIS · Industrial Chemicals Act 2019
Since 1 July 2020, cosmetic ingredient introductions in Australia are regulated under AICIS, which replaced NICNAS. Introducers must register their business, categorize each chemical introduction by risk (Listed, Exempted, Reported, Assessed), and meet record-keeping obligations. Therapeutic claims push a cosmetic into the TGA regime as a therapeutic good.
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Key facts
- Statute
- Industrial Chemicals Act 2019
- Business registration
- Required for all introducers
- Introduction categories
- Listed / Exempted / Reported / Assessed
- Therapeutic boundary
- Therapeutic claims trigger TGA jurisdiction
What Australia requires
The core obligations every brand selling cosmetics in Australia must meet.
Introduction categorization
Each chemical introduction must be categorized into one of four categories (Listed, Exempted, Reported, Assessed) based on hazard, volume, and use. Categorization determines record-keeping and reporting obligations.
Record keeping
Introducers must keep records of every introduction for at least five years and make them available to AICIS on request.
TGA boundary
Cosmetics making therapeutic claims (e.g. acne treatment, sun protection above a certain SPF, hair loss) fall under the Therapeutic Goods Administration and require listing or registration on the ARTG.
How Cosmetica helps
Cosmetica coverage for Australia
Categorization guidance for cosmetic ingredient introductions, restricted substance checks under AICIS rules and the TGA boundary, structured data ready for AICIS submission.
Primary sources
Always verify current requirements against the regulator's official publications. Cosmetica's analysis cites these primary sources directly in every compliance finding.