CTPA - Cosmetic Toiletry & Perfumery Association

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Make-up

Make-up has been used by women and men for many centuries to enhance the way we look. The earliest historical record of make-up comes from the 1^st Dynasty of Egypt (c.3100-2907 BC) when both sexes used a substance called unguent to keep their skin supple, hydrated and wrinkle-free in the scorching heat. Egyptian women also decorated their eyes by blackening the upper lids and lashes with kohl or soot.

In the years that followed, people would try out all kinds of substances to enhance their appearance, sometimes putting their health at risk with homemade cosmetics. In some cultures, for instance, women used lead, mercury and even leeches to give themselves a ‘fashionable’ pale complexion.

Today we spend more than £1billion each year in the UK on make-up products; thankfully, scientific advancements mean the days of using deadly mixtures as cosmetics are long gone. In fact, thanks to sound science and strict regulation, cosmetics have never been safer.

You can find out more about the science that goes into face, lip and eye make-up.

The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association (CTPA) is an association of manufacturers of cosmetic, toiletry and perfumery products, founded in 1945 to promote the interests of members, primarily with government. That remit has now extended to include the European Commission and many other regulatory bodies, national and international groups.

Members are manufacturers (full members), raw material suppliers and suppliers of services (associate members). Our Council is made up of senior industry representatives from small, medium, large and multi-national companies. Activities are funded through membership subscriptions.

The focus of our work centres on scientific, regulatory and legislative issues. We have a constant dialogue with the UK Government and this process is repeated at European level through COLIPA, the European trade body and internationally through an extensive network of national association contacts.

Visit the CTPA main website »

The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association (CTPA) is the voice of the cosmetic, toiletry and perfumery industry in the UK. Our members vary from small and medium-sized companies to large multi-nationals and include manufacturers, raw material suppliers and service providers.

Our primary goal is to promote good working practice to ensure that consumers are provided with the very best products. To this end, we co-ordinate the industry's viewpoint on key issues such as science, innovation and safety and maintain an open dialogue with government, both at UK and European level, as well as with international regulatory authorities and key opinion formers.

CTPA recognises that the consumer has a right to understand the processes that industry and the regulatory bodies go through to ensure the safety and efficacy of cosmetic and toiletry products. Over the years we have steadily increased our focus on providing the public with direct access to the industry's perspective and progress on safety, science and innovation.

In April 2008 we launched our consumer information website, www.thefactsabout.co.uk, which provides scientific facts about common ingredients used in cosmetics and the industry's perspective on common safety questions as well as information on how products are regulated to ensure safety and efficacy.

Further information on the work of the CTPA is available from our main website www.ctpa.org.uk which also houses the full set of legislation under 'Cosmetic regulations'.