Korea to Amend Functional Cosmetics Testing Regulation

South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has announced that it is to amend the “Standards and Testing Methods of Functional Cosmetics”. The regulation will include 8 new kinds of functional cosmetic preparations containing whitening ingredients and whitening/wrinkle-relieving compounds with validated safety and efficacy. Under the new system the review process will be replaced with a mandatory requirement to submit supporting reports.

• Ethyl Ascorbyl Ether Lotion
• Ethyl Ascorbyl Ether Liquid
• Ethyl Ascorbyl Ether Cream
• Ethyl Ascorbyl Ether Soaked Mask
• Alpha-bisabolol Adenosine Liquid
• Alpha-bisabolol Adenosine Lotion
• Alpha-bisabolol Adenosine Cream
• Alpha-bisabolol Adenosine Soaked Mask

The Ministry has also improved the quantitative analysis methods of the 15 functional cosmetic preparations listed below:

• Niacinamide Cream
• Arbutin Cream
• Alpha-bisabolol Lotion
• Alpha-bisabolol Liquid
• Alpha-bisabolol Cream
• Alpha-bisabolol Soaked Mask
• Adenosine Cream
• Niacinamide Adenosine Liquid
• Niacinamide Adenosine Lotion
• Niacinamide Adenosine Cream
• Niacinamide Adenosine Soaked Mask
• Oil-Soluble Glycyrrhiza Extract Adenosine Liquid
• Oil-Soluble Glycyrrhiza Extract Adenosine Lotion
• Oil-Soluble Glycyrrhiza Extract Adenosine Cream
• Ascorbyl Glucoside Adenosine Liquid

The 2013 version of “Requirements for Cosmetics Safety Standards” standardizes the testing of heavy metals, methanol and other contents in cosmetics. To avoid redundancy between the 2013 standard and MFDS’s new standard overlapping clauses in the “Standards and Testing Methods of Functional Cosmetics” will be deleted. Furthermore content relating to Glyceryl PABA and p-Aminobenzoic Acid (PABA) will also be removed from the “Standards and Testing Methods of Functional Cosmetics” as under Korean regulations use of these two substances is banned in Cosmetics.