What Should Be Printed on a Cosmetic Label in India?

Table of Content:

• Which Rules Govern Cosmetic Labelling in India?
• What Information Must Be on a Cosmetic Label?
• What Goes on the Inner Label and the Outer Label?
• Net Quantity, MRP and Retail Packaging Declarations
• Warnings, Directions for Use and Applicable BIS Standards
• Do Small Cosmetic Packs Have Different Labelling Requirements?
• Common Cosmetic Labelling Mistakes to Avoid
• Conclusion
• Frequently Asked Questions

A face wash can be well formulated and still be pulled from a shelf because its label has no licence number or prints the expiry date in the wrong form. Label mistakes are among the easiest compliance gaps to spot, because anyone can read them off the pack, and they are costly to fix once cartons have been printed.

India’s cosmetic labelling rules sit mainly in Rule 34 of the Cosmetics Rules, 2020, with the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 adding price and quantity declarations. If you are launching products with a cosmetic manufacturer in India, this guide covers what to print, what goes on the inner and outer label, which small packs are exempt, and the mistakes to look for when you review artwork.

Which Rules Govern Cosmetic Labelling in India?

Three sets of rules shape a cosmetic label in India, and a label has to satisfy all three.

Cosmetics Rules, 2020: Rule 34 sets out the manner of labelling, including which details go on the inner label, the outer label or either one. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) administers the Rules at the central level, while State Licensing Authorities grant manufacturing licences.

Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011: These cover pre-packed goods sold in India, including cosmetics. They require the details of the manufacturer, packer or importer, the net quantity, the MRP inclusive of all taxes and consumer care details. For cosmetics, the date declaration follows the Cosmetics Rules rather than Legal Metrology.

BIS standards: Rule 34(8) says a cosmetic listed in the Ninth Schedule must follow any labelling requirement in its Indian Standard. Examples include IS 6608 for skin creams, IS 6356 for toothpaste and IS 8481 for oxidation hair dyes.

One recent change affects dates. The Cosmetics (Amendment) Rules, 2025, notified in July 2025, clarified that “use before” means the first day of the month printed on the label, and “date of expiry” means the last day of that month.

What Information Must Be on a Cosmetic Label?

Rule 34 sorts the declarations into three groups: those that go on both labels, those that can go on either, and those for the outer label only. These are the details to check before you approve artwork.

• Product name: The name under which the cosmetic is sold, on both the inner and the outer label.
• Manufacturer’s name and address: The name and complete address of the premises where the product was made, on both labels. If the product was not made in a factory owned by the manufacturer named on the pack, the label must show the actual manufacturer’s name and address, or “Made in” followed by the country. Brands working with private label cosmetics manufacturers in India should confirm which name and address the artwork has to carry.
• Use before or expiry date: On both labels, in month and year. Rule 34 accepts formats such as “use before”, “date of expiry” or “expiry 24 months from manufacture”, and many brands also print the manufacturing month and year. The shelf life behind the date should come from stability testing, not from a competitor’s pack.
• Batch number: On the inner or the outer label, preceded by “B”, “Batch No.”, “B. No.”, “Batch”, “Lot No.” or “Lot”. Soaps show the month and year of manufacture instead of a batch number.
• Manufacturing licence number: On the inner or the outer label, preceded by “M”, “M. L. No” or “Mfg. Lic. No.”
• Ingredients: Listed under the heading INGREDIENTS. Ingredients above 1% come first, in descending order of weight or volume at the time they are added, followed by those at 1% or less in any order. Rule 34 does not make INCI names mandatory, although many brands use them for clarity. If the formulation changes, the ingredient list has to change with it.
• Net contents: On the outer label, as weight for solids, fluid measure for liquids and either for semi-solids, with a numerical count if the contents are divided into units.
• Imported cosmetics: The label must show the import registration certificate number preceded by “RC”, “RC No” or “Reg. Cert. No”, along with the importer’s name and address. An imported cosmetic must also have a use before date that falls more than six months after the date of import.

What Goes on the Inner Label and the Outer Label?

The inner label sits on the container that holds the product, such as a jar, tube or bottle. The outer label is on the carton or outer wrapper. They are not interchangeable spaces where information can go wherever it fits, because Rule 34 assigns different declarations to each.

Where it goes	What Rule 34 requires
Both inner and outer label	Product name; manufacturer’s name and complete address; use before or expiry date in month and year
Inner or outer label	Batch number; manufacturing licence number
Outer label only	Net contents (weight or measure, with a count if sub-divided)
Inner label, where a hazard exists	Directions for safe use; any warning, caution or special direction; names and quantities of hazardous or poisonous ingredients
Every pack (Rule 34(7))	Ingredients list, unless the pack is small enough to be exempt
Packs with a single label	Everything above on that one label

A pack with only one label must carry everything required on both the inner and the outer label. Legal Metrology adds one more point: where a product has an outer carton that carries every required declaration, the inner container does not have to repeat them.

Net Quantity, MRP and Retail Packaging Declarations

Cosmetics sold as pre-packed goods in India also fall under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011. Rule 6 lists the declarations a retail pack has to carry.

• Manufacturer, packer or importer: Name and complete address, with the importer’s details and the country of origin on imported packs.
• Common or generic name: The name of the product.
• Net quantity: In standard units such as grams, kilograms, millilitres or litres, or as a number of items.
• MRP: The maximum retail price inclusive of all taxes, written in a prescribed form such as “MRP Rs. 299.00 incl. of all taxes”.
• Consumer care details: The name, address, telephone number and email address of the person or office to contact for complaints.

These declarations go on the principal display panel. The space around the net quantity must be free of other printed matter: at least the height of the numerals above and below it, and twice that height on the left and right. The minimum height of letters and numerals depends on the panel area, starting at 1 mm for panels under 50 sq cm and rising to 6 mm above 2,500 sq cm.

Declarations must be in Hindi in Devanagari script or in English, and other languages can be added alongside. Stickers cannot be used to make or change a required declaration, with one exception: a sticker showing a lower MRP, which must not cover the original.

If your brand name and address appear on the pack as the marketer, the brand owner is held responsible for any violation of these Rules. That applies whether you choose private label or contract manufacturing, so review these declarations as closely as the manufacturer does.

Warnings, Directions for Use and Applicable BIS Standards

Where a cosmetic carries a hazard, Rule 34(4) requires the inner label to show adequate directions for safe use, any warning, caution or special direction the consumer must follow, and the names and quantities of any hazardous or poisonous ingredients. Some categories have rules of their own.

• Hair dyes: Rule 37 requires hair dyes containing paraphenylenediamine or other dyes, colours and pigments to carry a prescribed caution on both labels, in English and local languages. The caution warns of possible skin irritation, calls for a preliminary patch test and says the product must not be used on eyelashes or eyebrows. Each pack must also include patch test instructions. In June 2026, CDSCO reminded hair colour manufacturers and importers to follow Rule 34, Rule 37 and the relevant BIS standards, and to report label changes to the licensing authority.
• Fluoride toothpaste: Rule 38 requires the fluoride content in ppm on the tube and the carton, with fluoride not above 1000 ppm, and the expiry date on both. See our range of oral care products for the categories we manufacture.
• Claims: Rule 36 bars any claim that is false or misleading to the intending user, so statements about benefits, ingredients or safety need to be supportable.

BIS standards add another layer. If your product is listed in the Ninth Schedule, read its Indian Standard for packing and marking requirements as well as composition limits, because Rule 34(8) makes those labelling requirements part of the law.

Do Small Cosmetic Packs Have Different Labelling Requirements?

Yes, but only in specific ways. The Cosmetics Rules relax some declarations for small packs, Legal Metrology has a separate exemption, and each relaxation has its own size limit.

Declaration	What changes	Pack size limit
Batch number	Not required	10 g or less (solid or semi-solid), 25 ml or less (liquid)
Ingredients list	Not required	30 g or less (solid or semi-solid), 60 ml or less (liquid)
Manufacturer’s address	Name and principal place of manufacture with pin code can replace the full address	30 g or less (solid or semi-solid), 60 ml or less (liquid)
Net contents on the outer label	Not required	Perfume, toilet water or similar up to 60 ml; solid or semi-solid cosmetic up to 30 g
Legal Metrology declarations (Rule 26)	Rules do not apply	10 g or 10 ml or less

Packs above 10 g or 10 ml are not exempt from Legal Metrology, and packs from 10 g to 20 g or 10 ml to 20 ml must at least carry the MRP and net quantity.

A relaxation for one detail does not cover the others. A 30 ml serum, for example, can leave out the ingredients list but is above the 25 ml limit for the batch number, so it still needs one. Check each omission separately, and confirm that the Rules allow it before the artwork goes for printing.

Common Cosmetic Labelling Mistakes to Avoid

These are the errors to look for when you review artwork:

• Printing the licence number or batch number without its prefix, or printing an outdated licence number
• Leaving out the use before or expiry date, or printing it without a month and year
• Leaving out ingredients that should be listed, or listing them out of order
• Using type that is too small, or crowding the area around the net quantity
• Covering or overwriting required declarations with stickers
• Overlooking the extra declarations for imported cosmetics, such as the RC number and importer details
• Treating every small pack as exempt
• Making claims that could mislead customers
• Changing the label or the formula without telling the licensing authority, since a licensed manufacturer must inform it in writing within 30 days of a change in labelling or composition

Check the final artwork against this list before it goes to print, and repeat the check whenever product details or packaging change.

Conclusion

A compliant label comes from the rules that apply to your product and pack, not from a label copied off another brand’s carton. Rule 34, Legal Metrology and any applicable BIS standard each add something, so check all three for every new product and every pack size.

At HCP Wellness, label and artwork finalisation is a step in our process before bulk manufacturing, and every order comes with batch documentation and regulatory-ready labelling. Our facility in Ahmedabad holds GMP, WHO-GMP, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 22716, FDCA, USFDA and Halal certifications, and we work from a library of over 3,000 tested formulations.

If you are comparing partners, our guide on how to choose a cosmetic manufacturer in India covers what to check beyond labelling, and our list of third party cosmetic manufacturers in India shows how the options compare.

Contact us with your product category, pack sizes and target market and we will help you plan the label before artwork goes to print, or call us directly on +91 97234 55627.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which rules govern cosmetic labelling in India?

Rule 34 of the Cosmetics Rules, 2020 sets the main labelling requirements for cosmetics. The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 add declarations such as net quantity, MRP and consumer care details, and any BIS standard listed in the Ninth Schedule can add product-specific labelling requirements.

Is a manufacturing licence number required on cosmetic labels?

Yes. For cosmetics made in India, the manufacturing licence number goes on the inner or the outer label, preceded by ‘M’, ‘M. L. No’ or ‘Mfg. Lic. No.’. An imported cosmetic can be allowed without one if the country of origin does not require it, subject to the other import rules.

What is the difference between an inner label and an outer label?

The inner label is on the immediate container, such as the jar, tube or bottle. The outer label is on the carton or other outer packaging. Both carry the product name, the manufacturer’s details and the use before or expiry date. The batch number and licence number can go on either label, and net contents go on the outer label. A pack with a single label must carry all of it.

Are small cosmetic packs exempt from labelling requirements?

Only some declarations are relaxed. Packs of 10 g or 25 ml or less need no batch number, and packs of 30 g or 60 ml or less need no ingredients list. Legal Metrology exempts packs of 10 g or 10 ml or less. The product name, manufacturer details, use before or expiry date and licence number still apply, so check each declaration against your pack size.

Is it necessary to display manufacturing and expiry dates on a cosmetic label?

Rule 34 requires a use before or expiry date, shown as month and year, on both the inner and the outer label. It accepts several formats, including ‘expiry 24 months from manufacture’, so printing the manufacturing month and year alongside the expiry is common practice. Soaps show the month and year of manufacture instead of a batch number.

What is the difference between ‘use before’ and ‘date of expiry’?

Since the Cosmetics (Amendment) Rules, 2025, ‘use before’ means the first day of the month printed on the label, and ‘date of expiry’ means the last day of that month. Either way, the date is shown as month and year.