Denatured alcohol in cosmetic and biocide products
What is denatured alcohol?
In France, the sale of alcohol is subject to strict regulations and a specific customs tax, in order to regulate its consumption.
When a company uses alcohol for purposes other than food consumption, it must use denatured alcohol in order to be exempt from excise taxes. This is ethanol to which denaturing agents are added to make it unfit for food consumption.
A company can obtain denatured alcohol which it will use in this form, or "pure" alcohol which it will then denature.
Do I need to declare the purchase of denatured alcohol?
Yes, even if it is denatured, the purchase and use must be declared to customs. Prior authorization is required, often accompanied by an exemption from excise duties.
Do I need to declare the purchase of alcohol on French territory?
Yes, even if the alcohol purchased does not cross borders, obtaining a purchase authorization from customs is necessary. The same applies to purchasing alcohol abroad.
Can I use denatured alcohol in my ORGANIC product?
Yes, absolutely. Organic denatured alcohol is available from most suppliers. Some organic cosmetic or biocide brands will prefer to obtain "pure" organic alcohol and denature it by a natural process to avoid the presence of eurodenaturants. However, this procedure can prove more complex from an administrative point of view (see "third scenario" below).
How to obtain an alcohol purchase authorization from customs?
First scenario: purchase of denatured alcohol
Denatured alcohol can be purchased directly from a supplier, it is already unfit for food consumption and can be added to your cosmetics and biocides in this form.
To purchase denatured alcohol from a supplier and be exempt from excise taxes, obtaining a purchase authorization from customs is necessary.
We offer to carry out your denatured alcohol purchase authorization request under mandate, quickly and safely.
Second scenario: alcohol denaturation by eurodenaturant
It is also possible to purchase pure or "neat" alcohol which will then be denatured with denaturing agents listed on the European list. The denaturation process can be carried out on site or at a service provider.
In this situation, obtaining a denaturation authorization must precede the purchase authorization request. This procedure is also carried out with customs and requires a more complex file.
We offer our service for preparing denaturation authorization request files, validated by an expert in cosmetology.
Third scenario: "natural" alcohol denaturation
It is also possible to denature alcohol with additives other than eurodenaturants, for example perfumes or essential oils. These products, sometimes already present in the initial composition of the cosmetic product or biocide, may be sufficient to make the alcohol unfit for food consumption.
This type of denaturation process is sometimes preferred because it is considered more natural. In this case, the denaturation authorization request file must contain a chemical formula aimed at demonstrating the effective denaturation of alcohol in the finished product.
We accompany you in developing this formula, validated by an expert in cosmetology, as well as in preparing your file to be submitted to French customs.
Our alcohol & customs services
Our services
LPPR list attachment procedures can prove laborious and time-consuming, as the necessary information is difficult to find.
Alcohol & Customs Cosmetic and Biocide advises and accompanies you on all your customs and alcohol procedures:
- Alcohol purchase authorization request
- File and denaturation authorization request
- Natural denaturation formula calculation
- Administrative follow-up of file with customs
- Declaration to ANSM (necessary before any LPP attachment procedure)
- Audit and advice
Our commitments
We are committed to a responsive, qualitative and safe service
- Quote within 48 working hours then rapid processing
- Advice and complete handling of your procedures
- Regulatory compliance thanks to our expert in cosmetic regulation
- Direct contact with customs services
Who are our services for?
Our services are aimed at craftsmen and SMEs producing cosmetics and biocides containing denatured alcohol, who want external support to carry out their customs procedures quickly and simply.