Navigating EU Cosmetics Regulation as a US beauty brand

Frequently Asked Questions

What does KAIMA do, exactly?

KAIMA helps US beauty, personal care, and FMCG brands enter European markets. We do not write strategy decks. We embed as an operator — VP-level, P&L-fluent — and run the work that takes a US brand from "we want to be in Europe" to a launched, distributed, regulator-compliant product on European shelves. Strategy through execution.

Who is Christian Köppl?

Christian Köppl is the founder of KAIMA Consulting GmbH. Twenty years of operator experience inside L'Oréal, Johnson & Johnson, and COOLA. At J&J he led a $5B beauty business transformation and turned PIZ BUIN from a divestment risk into EMEA's fastest-growing sun care brand. At COOLA (SC Johnson) he ran the entire international business and doubled revenue in the first twelve months. Based in Wädenswil, Switzerland.

Where is KAIMA based?

Wädenswil, Zürich, Switzerland. KAIMA is a registered Swiss GmbH.

Which European countries do you cover?

The full European footprint: DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), France, the UK, the Nordics (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland), Southern Europe (Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece), the Benelux, Ireland, Poland, and the broader Central and Eastern European markets where US beauty brands typically expand. We sequence — most brands should not enter all of these at once.

What kinds of brands does KAIMA work with?

US-based beauty, personal care, and FMCG brands that are serious about European expansion. Typical fit: between $5M and $200M in US revenue, brand position holds in premium or selective channel, founders or CEOs who want an embedded operator rather than a slide deck.

What does a typical engagement look like?

Usually three to twelve months, sometimes longer. We embed at VP level — running the regulatory work, the distributor selection, the retail negotiations, the launch logistics. We are inside the brand, not on the outside writing memos. Engagement scope, fees, and structure are agreed up front.

How is KAIMA different from a traditional consultancy?

We do not produce decks for a living. We have actually built and run the businesses we now help others enter. Twenty years on the inside — at L'Oréal, J&J, COOLA — gives us the operating muscle, the relationships across European retail and distribution, and the pattern recognition for where US brands fail. We are operators, not advisors.

What does it cost to enter the European beauty market?

Directional, not contractual: a serious entry into a single anchor market — Germany, France, or the UK — typically requires €350,000 to €600,000 in pre-launch spend across regulatory dossier, localisation, distributor onboarding, and the first six months of trade marketing. Some brands do it for less and it usually shows. Some brands spend more and waste it.

Do I need an EU Responsible Person to sell cosmetics in Europe?

Yes. Regulation EC 1223/2009 requires every cosmetic product on the EU market to have a Responsible Person established within the Union — a natural or legal person carrying legal accountability for the product. The RP's name and EU address must appear on the label. KAIMA works with vetted RP partners selected by category and country.

What is CPNP and why does it matter?

CPNP is the Cosmetic Product Notification Portal. Every cosmetic product placed on the EU market must be notified in CPNP before it can legally be sold. Every formulation, every variant, every claim change requires notification. Until the product is in CPNP, customs can hold it.

Is the UK still part of the EU regulatory regime?

No. Since 1 January 2021 the UK runs a parallel regime. UK Responsible Person, UK Product Information File, UK SCPN notification (the British equivalent of CPNP). A US brand selling into both EU and UK now needs two compliance stacks.

Should I use one pan-European distributor or several country-specific ones?

Several country-specific ones, almost always. The pan-European distributor for serious beauty does not exist at meaningful scale. The working structure is three to six distributors, each chosen for deep retailer relationships in a specific country and channel — pharmacy in France is a different world from selective in Italy or drogerie in Germany.

How long does a European launch typically take?

Twelve to eighteen months from the first serious decision to first shipment in a single anchor market — assuming clean execution. Brands who try to compress it below twelve months almost always lose time later by re-doing work that was rushed.

Do you write the regulatory dossier yourselves?

No. We work with vetted EU and UK Safety Assessors and CPNP-experienced filing partners selected for the category. KAIMA scopes the dossier, manages the suppliers, runs the timeline, and sits in the meetings where the gaps get found. The orchestration is the work — not the chemistry.

Will my US claims work in Europe?

Some will. Many will not. EU Regulation 655/2013 sets specific evidence thresholds for cosmetic claims. "Anti-ageing," "clinically proven," "natural," "clean" — each carries different requirements. US claim copy almost always needs reworking before it survives EU regulatory and retailer review.

How do I book a discovery call?

Thirty minutes, no pitch. An honest assessment of where your brand sits and what the European path looks like for you.