Canadian VOC Regulations for Personal Care Products

By: Jacqui Jenskey, DIRECTOR OF REGULATORY AFFAIRS, email

January 1, 2024 is the deadline for all products except disinfectants to comply with Canada’s Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Regulations. This includes personal care products, which make up 13 of the 130 categories outlined in the regulations.

Dell Tech offers expertise in classifying and calculating VOC content per the Volatile Organic Compound Concentration Limits for Certain Products Regulations. Contact us today for VOC compliance support.

Examples of personal care products include but are not limited to:

• Antiperspirant
• Deodorant
• Hairstyling mousse
• Nail polish remover
• Shaving gel

VOC limits for each personal care product category is set out in Schedule 1 of the regulations.

In addition to VOC limits, CEPA’s regulations include requirements for the following:

• Record keeping
• Product labelling
• Analysis and reporting by an accredited laboratory

The onus is on importers and manufacturers of personal care products to ensure their products are compliant with Canada’s new VOC regulations.

The deadline to comply is January 1, 2024.

How Dell Tech Can Help:

Dell Tech’s team of Canadian regulatory consultants can assist your company with the following:

• Determine classification of your product into the correct category, subcategory and appropriate limits
• Calculate your product’s VOC
• Provide detailed report per product outlining the VOC content calculations, classification and limits
• Provide guidance on reformulations or unit trades
• Determine if any exemptions are applicable
• Provide a Letter of Acknowledgement for distributors/retailers

Related Services:

• Cosmetic Regulations consulting, including cosmetic hotlist review, CEPA assessment and CNF submission
• NHP Regulations consulting, including formula assessment, NPN applications and Quality Management System Support
• Amazon Compliance support for personal care products, household cleaners and miscellaneous consumer products

Dell Tech has provided professional, confidential consulting services to the specialty chemical 

industry in Canada, the USA, Europe, and Asia for the last 40 years.