The British Beauty Council is delighted with the Scottish Government’s renewed commitment to introduce aesthetics regulation in the next year
Earlier this week, the Scottish government published its ‘Programme for Government 2025-26: Building The Best Future For Scotland’. It has confirmed that a Non-surgical Cosmetic Procedures Bill will be introduced.
The Bill will:
- regulate the delivery of certain non-surgical procedures offered for cosmetic or lifestyle purposes
- support the safety of those who undergo the procedures
- ensure that certain procedures are required to be delivered from suitable premises registered with an appropriate body
- make provision to support the enforcement of appropriate standards for service providers.
The British Beauty Council, alongside industry bodies such as the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP) and the British Association of Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology (BABTAC), have long been calling for tighter regulations on non-surgical cosmetic procedures.
Commenting on the announcement, Victoria Brownlie, Chief Policy & Sustainability Officer at the British Beauty Council, said: “This is a hugely positive step forward in raising the reputation and standards of the aesthetics sector and I commend the Scottish Government for taking steps to regulate the industry.
“After advocating for improved standards, education, and accountability since our inception, next we must ensure all four nations across the UK come together to ensure collaboration and effective implementation to achieve the desired outcomes of safety, professionalism, and public confidence in aesthetic services.”
This announcement comes after a consultation on the introduction of a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures was carried out by the Scottish Government in 2024. The consultation proposed implementing a regulatory framework for non-surgical aesthetic treatments; including introducing mandatory licensing for practitioners, setting minimum qualification standards, and establishing stricter oversight to ensure public safety and accountability in the aesthetics industry.
The British Beauty Council engaged with a range of government representatives to feed into this consultation. The organisation broadly welcomed the proposed outcomes of this investigation as a means to implement minimum qualification requirements for practitioners, tackle inconsistent service quality, and reduce the risk of harm to the public.
Following this announcement, the Council will continue to push for further legislation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in the UK. It was successful in implementing the Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Act in 2021 and holding a further consultation on the regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in 2023, however the Government has stalled activity since.
However, the Council was also pleased to hear of a landmark decision from the Nursery and Midwifery Council (NMC) which bans the remote prescribing of injectable cosmetic products from June 1st in the UK.
Wales and Northern Ireland are yet to indicate whether they will bring forward similar proposals.
