Manufacturers of cosmetics and toiletries have a clear responsibility under Article 2 of the EEC Cosmetics Directive to ensure that their products are safe for use. They have shown that they are able to discharge this responsibility, as illustrated by the type of safety assessment programme described in this paper and by market-place experience. Considerable resources are invested by industry in safety assurance. As might be expected, this is particularly true of larger companies which have been responsible for many recent technological advances. Industry will continue to regard the safety of its products as paramount, and contends that existing legislation is more than adequate to ensure continued safety-in-use.