How-to
Importing French skincare into Great Britain after Brexit
Short answer
Endless Pure offers an attractive margin up to 50%. Commercial terms are available in your trade account once your business is verified.1234
Key facts
- A cosmetic cannot be placed on the Great Britain market without a Responsible Person established in the UK; an importer becomes the Responsible Person by default.1
- Each product is notified through the UK SCPN service before it is placed on the GB market.2
- Labels showing the EU Responsible Person's details remain acceptable for GB until 31 December 2027.1
- Skincare under commodity code 3304 99 00 00 carries 0% third-country duty and 20% import VAT.3
- Endless Pure offers an attractive margin up to 50%. Prices are available after registration.
- A UK VAT-registered business can account for import VAT on its VAT return instead of paying it at the border.4
Who does what when a UK shop buys skincare direct from France?
The brand produces, documents and ships. You import, pay the VAT and, by default, carry the Responsible Person role. Gov.uk is explicit: a cosmetic cannot be placed on the Great Britain market without a Responsible Person established in the UK, and an importer becomes that person by default, including for goods from the EU.1
| Task | Brand (Endless Pure) | You, the UK importer | Optional UK RP service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Production, batch, tracked shipment | Yes | ||
| Product information | Available to partners | Files it | Uses it |
| GB EORI number and customs declaration | Yes (or your carrier) | ||
| Import VAT | Pays or postpones | ||
| SCPN notification per product | Yes, by default | Yes, if appointed in writing | |
| Product Information File in English at a UK address | Agree access in advance | Holds access | Holds access |
| UK label details from 2028 | Applies stickers | Provides its address |
You can hand the Responsible Person role to a UK-established person or company by written mandate, and the role moves only when that person accepts in writing.5 Several firms offer this as a service. For a shop importing one or two brands, notifying a handful of SKUs yourself is manageable; for a wider range, an RP service saves time.
What does the Responsible Person have to do?
Notify, hold the file and answer for safety. Before each product goes on sale, the Responsible Person notifies it through SCPN with the product name and category, the RP's name, where the Product Information File is kept, an urgent-enquiries contact, details of any nanomaterials or CMR substances, an ingredient summary, a label image and a packaging photo.2
The Product Information File must be kept in English, made available to enforcement authorities at the UK address on request, and retained for ten years after the last batch is placed on the market.1 The content comes from the brand. Agree how you will access it before you notify, not after an enquiry arrives.
What has to be on the label, and when?
Until 31 December 2027, a label carrying the EU Responsible Person's details satisfies the GB name, address and country-of-origin requirements.1 One rule already applies today: warnings and precautionary information must be in English on both container and outer packaging.1 Check each pack on arrival; where English warnings are present, Endless Pure's EU packs can go on a UK shelf as they are once the products are notified in SCPN.
For stock you will sell from 1 January 2028, plan two changes:
- UK RP name and address on both container and outer packaging.1
- Country of origin as a country. "Made in the EU" is not accepted.1 Endless Pure products are made in Latvia, France or North America depending on the SKU, so the sticker must match each product.
A small sticker applied on receipt handles both. Order a sticker run in Q4 2027 and apply it as you unpack each delivery.
What does an order cost to land in the UK?
Duty is zero; import VAT is the only tax. Commodity code 3304 99 00 00 carries 0% third-country duty and 0% under the EU preference, with 20% VAT.3 Because duty is nil whatever the origin, products made in Latvia or North America land on the same terms as those made in France.
If your business is VAT-registered, use postponed VAT accounting: enter your VAT number on the import declaration and account for import VAT on the same return where you reclaim it.4 You need an EORI number to move goods between Great Britain and other countries.6 Give both to the carrier before the first shipment.
| Product | Units |
|---|---|
| Bio-Retinol Serum | 5 |
| Bio-Retinol Elixir Moisturiser | 5 |
| Bio-Retinol DUO | 3 |
| PURE CALM Light Moisturiser | 4 |
| PURE CALM Night Recovery Cream | 4 |
| Hyaluronic Double Hydration Gel | 3 |
| SPF50 Stick | 6 |
| Total | 30 |
Your remaining costs are shipping and any clearance fee the carrier charges.
UK prices are yours to set. The retail price and margin guide shows how to set them from the trade price.
Is Northern Ireland different?
Yes. Northern Ireland applies the EU regulation: notification goes through the EU portal, and the Responsible Person cannot be based in Great Britain.7 A product that is legally on the EU market already meets those rules, so a Northern Ireland shop deals with fewer formalities than a GB one.
How do you place the first UK order with Endless Pure?
Exactly as an EU partner does, on the terms listed in the supplier fact sheet. Apply for a trade account with your UK VAT or company registration number; trade prices and RRP are visible once your business is verified. Pay by card or SEPA bank transfer.
Discovery Kits ship within the EU only, so a UK buyer tests the range with a small first order instead. Customs paperwork for all non-EU zones is covered in shipping outside the EU, and terms by zone in French skincare wholesale for international retailers; every guide is listed in Guides.
| Product | Units |
|---|---|
| Bio-Retinol Serum | 3 |
| Bio-Retinol Elixir Moisturiser | 3 |
| PURE CALM Light Moisturiser | 2 |
| PURE CALM Night Recovery Cream | 2 |
| SPF50 Stick | 4 |
| Total | 14 |
Five SKUs to notify in SCPN before they go on sale.
Frequently asked questions
Do I become the Responsible Person if I import French skincare into the UK?
Is the EU CPNP notification valid in Great Britain?
Do I have to relabel French skincare for the UK?
Not for the address before 2028, as long as warnings are in English. Until 31 December 2027, labels that carry the EU Responsible Person's details satisfy the GB name, address and origin requirements; from then the UK Responsible Person's name and address must be on container and outer pack.1
Is there import duty on French skincare into the UK?
No. Commodity code 3304 99 00 00 carries 0% third-country duty and 0% under the EU preference, so origin paperwork does not change the duty; import VAT at 20% still applies.3
Can I write 'Made in the EU' as the country of origin on UK stock?
No. Gov.uk requires the actual country for imported cosmetics, including those from the EU, and does not accept 'Made in the EU'.1
Does Endless Pure ship to UK retailers?
UK import VAT and any clearance charges are paid on arrival. Commercial terms are available in your trade account once your business is verified.
Sources
- UK Government, Office for Product Safety and Standards, Regulation 1223/2009 and the Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013: Great Britain (statutory guidance, page updated 29 June 2026) (2026). www.gov.uk Checked 2026-10-22.
- UK Government, Submit a cosmetic product notification (2020). www.gov.uk Checked 2026-10-22.
- UK Government, UK Integrated Online Tariff, Commodity code 3304990000: beauty or make-up preparations and preparations for the care of the skin, other (2026). www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk Checked 2026-10-22.
- HM Revenue & Customs, Check when you can account for import VAT on your VAT Return (2026). www.gov.uk Checked 2026-10-22.
- legislation.gov.uk, Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 as it applies in the UK, Article 4 (Responsible persons) (2020). www.legislation.gov.uk Checked 2026-10-21.
- UK Government, Get an EORI number (2026). www.gov.uk Checked 2026-10-22.
- UK Government, Office for Product Safety and Standards, Regulation 1223/2009 and the Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013: Northern Ireland (page updated 29 June 2026) (2026). www.gov.uk Checked 2026-10-21.