Monika Rek-Burkowska Safety Assessor, Co-Owner & CEO at Securalis

In this issue of PIECES, we speak with Monika Rek-Burkowska, Safety Assessor, Co-Owner and CEO at Securalis, about the role of cosmetic safety and regulatory compliance in today’s beauty industry.

Securalis specializes in cosmetic safety assessment and regulatory support, helping manufacturers and beauty brands meet legal requirements across the European Union and UK. Its services include Safety Assessments, CPSR and PIF documentation, CPNP notifications, INCI verification, and label and marketing claims review.

In our conversation, Monika shares her perspective on the changing regulatory landscape in Europe and the UK, why regulatory compliance should be considered from the beginning of product development, and what brands often misunderstand about safety assessments and documentation such as CPSR and PIF.

She also discusses Securalis’ future direction, including support for brands entering new markets and the development of practical educational resources to help cosmetics companies navigate increasingly complex regulatory requirements.

Q1. What does Securalis do, and what makes your approach to cosmetic regulatory and safety support different?

Securalis supports cosmetic brands in ensuring the safety of their products and their compliance with regulatory requirements in the European and UK markets. Our services include Safety Assessments and CPSR preparation, PIF documentation, CPNP notifications, formula and INCI verification, label and marketing claims review, as well as ongoing regulatory consulting.

What is particularly important to us is an individual approach to every product. We do not treat documentation as a collection of formalities that simply needs to be completed before a product can enter the market. We want to understand the product, its formulation, its intended use and, most importantly, the needs of the brand behind it.

We also believe that regulations should be understandable to our clients. We do not simply point out that something does not meet the requirements — we explain why and, whenever possible, suggest practical solutions.
I believe that a good regulatory consultant should not only be someone who checks documents, but above all a partner who supports a brand in developing safe and compliant products.

Q2. How do you see cosmetic regulation in the EU and UK today — its challenges, recent changes, or where it's heading?

The European cosmetics industry is currently operating in a very dynamic regulatory environment. Cosmetic legislation is regularly updated, and companies are affected not only by changes concerning ingredients, but also by new requirements related to fragrance allergens, labelling, marketing claims, sustainability and packaging.

One of the biggest challenges for brands today is not simply finding information about an individual regulatory change, but understanding how that change affects the entire product and its documentation.

The UK presents an additional challenge because, following Brexit, companies need to take into account a separate regulatory framework and requirements when placing cosmetic products on the UK market.

In my opinion, the future of the industry will require a shift away from treating regulatory compliance as something that is checked only shortly before a product launch. Regulatory compliance should be part of the product development process from the very beginning.

Q3. What values are most important in the way your team works with beauty brands and their products?

The most important values for us are responsibility, scientific integrity, accuracy and clear communication.
A cosmetic safety assessment comes with significant responsibility. Behind every formulation and every report there is a product that will ultimately be used by real people. 

This is why we do not want to take shortcuts or treat safety as a mere formality.
At the same time, we understand that cosmetic regulations can be complicated, particularly for smaller brands and companies that are just entering the cosmetics industry.

That is why it is very important to us that our clients not only receive a completed document, but also understand what it means and what decisions they may need to make.

We want to be an expert partner for brands, combining scientific and regulatory knowledge with a practical understanding of running a cosmetics business.

Q4. What do you think brands often misunderstand or underestimate about regulatory compliance, safety assessment, or documentation like CPSR and PIF?

One of the most common misconceptions is that regulatory compliance is primarily about having the right documents.
In reality, documentation is the result of the entire compliance and safety process, not the goal itself.
A CPSR should not be treated as a universal template that can simply be completed for every product. A proper Safety Assessment requires an individual evaluation of the formulation, ingredients, toxicological properties, exposure, intended use and frequency of use, as well as many other relevant factors.

Brands also often involve safety and regulatory specialists too late in the development process. Decisions concerning the formulation, packaging, marketing claims or target group can have a direct impact on the regulatory assessment of the final product.

That is why I always encourage brands to think about safety and regulatory compliance from the very beginning of product development, rather than just before launch. In many cases, this can help prevent costly changes and delays later on.

Q5. What is next for Securalis — new services, markets, or other plans?

We want to continue developing Securalis as a comprehensive regulatory and safety partner for cosmetic brands operating both in the European market and internationally.

One of our directions is to further develop services supporting brands entering new markets, as well as expanding our expertise in areas that are becoming increasingly important for the cosmetics industry — including new ingredient requirements, packaging, sustainability and marketing communication.

Education is also a very important part of Securalis’ future development. Working with cosmetic manufacturers and brands on a daily basis, we see that they often do not lack information, but rather practical tools that show them how to translate complex regulatory requirements into concrete actions within their businesses.

One of our plans is therefore to create an online shop offering practical guides and materials for the cosmetics industry. We want to develop resources focused on specific regulatory topics — from product safety and documentation, through labelling and marketing claims, to new packaging obligations and changing regulatory requirements.

Our goal is for these materials to go beyond simply explaining regulations. We want them to include practical guidance, examples, checklists and ready-to-use tools that companies can apply in their everyday work.

In the long term, we want Securalis to be not only a company that brands turn to for Safety Assessments or regulatory documentation, but also a source of knowledge and a partner supporting them at different stages of product and business development.

This is not the end of our plans — we are already working on several other interesting projects that we will be sharing in the near future. I therefore encourage everyone interested in the cosmetics industry to follow Securalis through our website and LinkedIn profile, where we will share our new initiatives, practical knowledge and important regulatory developments affecting the cosmetics industry.

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As cosmetic regulations continue to evolve, safety and compliance are becoming an integral part of product development — not simply a final step before launch.