Product
Cosmetics and personal care transport
Dermocosmetics, food supplements and personal care to the same thermal standard as medicines. The same rules do not apply, but the product demands it anyway: an emulsion broken by heat arrives looking intact and ruined all the same.
Why do cosmetics need temperature control?
Because thermal damage in cosmetics is almost never visible on the pallet: it shows up on the shelf, weeks later. Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 requires a cosmetic product to be safe and compliant throughout its shelf life, and the stability declared by the manufacturer assumes storage conditions that transport has to respect. What heat actually does:
- Emulsion separation in creams and body lotions, irreversible on cooling.
- Melting and deformation of lipsticks, stick deodorants and balms.
- Leaks and expansion in pressurised packs and alcohol-based product.
- Colour and odour changes in product with oxidation-sensitive actives.
- Freezing in winter, which breaks emulsions just as effectively as heat.
Which range is used?
Whatever the manufacturer declares, and failing that controlled room temperature +15/+25 °C, which protects against both extremes. In cosmetics it is common for the supplier not to have set a range because nobody ever asked: in that case it is worth fixing one before contracting the lane, especially where the corridor crosses southern Europe in summer or the east in winter.
Can it travel with medicines?
Not in the same trip, for the same reason as everything else: full truck loads are dedicated. Both flows can run with the same carrier and under the same quality system, which is the usual arrangement when the customer is a manufacturer with a dermocosmetics line or a pharmacy distributor delivering both.
What is issued at the end of the trip?
The same file as in pharma: temperature graph for the journey, readings, door-opening log and a signed report at closing. See temperature records.
Frequently asked questions
Do cosmetics require GDP certification?
No. GDP applies to medicinal products for human use; cosmetics fall under Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 and cosmetic good manufacturing practice (ISO 22716). What working with a GDP carrier adds is the method: qualified vehicles, continuous recording and formally handled deviations, even where the product does not require them.
What about food supplements?
Legally they are food, not medicine, and follow food law. In transport they are handled as controlled room temperature or refrigerated product according to their specification, and benefit from the same thermal record. The company Health Registry covers the transport of foodstuffs.
Are aerosols and flammable product carried?
It depends on their classification. Many cosmetic aerosols and high-alcohol products are classified under ADR, so the safety data sheet is requested before confirming the service to establish whether and under what conditions they can move.
Need a full truck for pharmaceutical or refrigerated freight?
Tell us origin, destination, temperature range, product type and volume. A dedicated account manager comes back with a firm quote within one working day. If it is urgent, call.