2020 Top 10 Cosmetic Regulatory Updates in South Korea

1. South Korea Implements the Regulation on the Examination of Designation and Changes of Cosmetics Ingredient Standards

In South Korea, restricted ingredients, such as preservatives, colorants, shall be used under specified limitation requirements. However, to apply for using other non-specified restricted ingredients, the cosmetic company needs to apply for a certificate of relevant usage standard to MFDS.

On May 11, 2020, the MFDS published a draft of the Regulation on the Examination of Designation and Changes of Cosmetics Ingredients Usage Standards in order to clarify the application methods, scope of ingredients used under a limitation and any necessary dossiers. Soon after they announced its implementation on June 15, 2020. Get up to speed here.

2. South Korean Custom Cosmetics Regulation Set to Enter into Force

After debating it for over three years, the long-awaited provisions of custom cosmetic finally came into force on March 14, 2020. It defined custom cosmetics as blended or dispensed products by a qualified cosmetic compounding manager according to the consumers' needs. The prohibited, restricted, or functional ingredients are not appropriate for making a custom cosmetic. Take a look under the hood here.

3. South Korea Implements the Amended Cosmetic Safety Standard

South Korea implemented the amended Cosmetic Safety Standard. This latest version specified the ingredients applicable for custom cosmetics, as well as amending some previous ingredients. Find all changes in this article.

ChemLinked Note

The Cosmetic Safety Standard is one of the most significant cosmetic standards in South Korea, detailing the ingredient standards of cosmetic products. MFDS keeps frequent updates on this requirement. We suggest enterprises catch up with these amendments to trade with South Korea smoothly. To give a brief understanding of the ingredient usage, ChemLinked compiles the CosmeList based on this standard. 

4. Updates in South Korea Colorants

South Korea individually implemented the Types, Standards, and Test Methods of Cosmetic Color Additives three tims this year (Notice No. 2019-73 on March 1, Notice 2020-64 on July 20, Notice No. 2020-133 on December 30). ChemLinked collected the compendium of all the colorant requirements in 2020:

(1) Six colorants are newly prohibited from being used in eye cosmetics.

(2) Three colorants are permitted for solid soaps.

(3) Two colorants are prohibited from being used in children cosmetics. 

(4) Adding colorants derived from synthetic materials and microorganism:

The chemical synthesis of Lycopene ii via Wittig reaction, and the Lycopene iii extracted from “Blakeslea trispora”.

5. South Korea Exempts Cosmetics from Labeling the "Difficult to Recycle" via New Reverse Recycling Scheme

KCA and KPRC jointly launched the “Reverse Recycling Scheme of Cosmetic Containers” on December 8, 2020. The new scheme requires cosmetic enterprises to reverse collect the containers of the products from the customers. Any companies participating in the scheme can be exempted from labeling the “difficult to recycle” label on the cosmetics.

Korean authorities specified the eligible participants, application procedure and method, enterprises’ obligations, etc. Find out all you need to know here.

6. South Korea Expands the Functional Cosmetics Exempted from Evaluation

MFDS disclosed the Standards and Testing Methods of Functional Cosmetics on December 30, 2020. The authority approved the "Complex of Ethyl Ascorbyl Ether, Adenosine in four forms,” “Sodium Persulfate and Potassium Persulfate Powder,” and “3-Step oxidative hair dyes whose Step 3 is a hair conditioner”.

To register a functional cosmetic in South Korea, the enterprise needs to apply for an evaluation to MFDS, which is complicated and costly. However, for certain cosmetics listed under the Standards and Testing Methods of Functional Cosmetics, this evaluation can be exempted. The relevant enterprise can only submit safety and effect reports. By adding these new raw materials, the competent authority enlarged the scope of the functional cosmetics exempted from evaluation and eased enterprises' burden. Additional details are here.

7. South Korea Bans Atopy-Relieving Claims on Functional Cosmetics

On August 5, 2020, MFDS issued and implemented the revised Enforcement Rule of Cosmetics Act. The functional cosmetics category name "functional cosmetics helpful in alleviating the skin dryness caused by atopic skin" is changed into "functional cosmetics helpful in restoring the skin function to relieve the skin itching". By deleting the expression of "atopy", which is likely to mislead consumers into thinking the cosmetics are medicines, the competent authority reinforced the management of functional cosmetics claims. Read more here.

8. Solid Soap, Black Hair Powder, and Hair Removal Wax Officially Transforms from Chemicals to Cosmetics

The solid soap, black hair powder, and hair removal wax had been managed as chemical industry products. However, considering these products were exposed to human bodies, on December 31, 2018, MFDS designated the solid soap, black hair powder, and hair removal wax as cosmetics. As the grace period ended on December 31, 2020, relevant enterprises should comply with the Cosmetics Act and other cosmetics rules.

ChemLinked provided a guideline about how to comply with the cosmetic requirements. This article sets you up for success.

9. South Korea Consults on Revising the Recycling Symbols on Cosmetics Packing Materials

MOE released the exposure draft of Standards of Labeling Quality and Structure of Packaging Material Grade and Recycling Symbols to optimize the requirements on recycling symbols. The “rinse out before recycling,” “remove the labels," and other notes for dealing with the packs are labeled along with the recycling symbols. The symbol size is also to be enlarged from 8mm to 12mm for ease of viewing. Read here to find out more.

10. South Korea Implements the Regulation for Preparation and Storage of Infants and Children Cosmetic Safety Data

As cosmetics users are getting younger in South Korea, MFDS enhanced the management of children's cosmetics and implemented the Regulation on the Preparation and Storage of Infants and Children Cosmetic Safety Data on July 24, 2020. It specified the methods of preparing and storing the safety data. For better understanding check here.