The draft amendment to “Regulations on Safety Standards of Cosmetics”, which was open for public consultation between 13 Jan to 13 Mar, became effective on 30 May 2014. The regulations are applicable to cosmetics manufactured and marketed in Korea. The most significant amendments are below:
- Standardize the use of the terms aerosol, spray, etc.
To avoid confusion, the use of the terms aerosol and spray has been partly revised. The related instructions on the scope of application of six ingredients have been amended upon this clarification.
| Ingredient | Instruction before amendment | Instruction after amendment |
| Glutaral | Prohibited in spray products | Prohibited in aerosol(spray only) products |
| Dehydroacetic Acid | Prohibited in aerosol products | Prohibited in aerosol(spray only) products |
| IPBC | Prohibited in lip products, spray products, body lotion and body cream | Prohibited in lip products, aerosol(spray only) products, body lotion and body cream |
| Ethy Lauroyl Alginate Hydrochloride | Prohibited in lip products and spray products | Prohibited in lip products and aerosol(spray only) products |
| Chlorobutanol | Prohibited in aerosol products | Prohibited in aerosol(spray only) products |
| 1,3-bis(hydroxylmethyl) imidazolidine -2-thione | Limit to 2% in hair & nail products, with the exceptional prohibition in aerosol products. Remark: prohibited in other products | Limit to 2% in hair & nail products, with the exceptional prohibition in aerosol (spray) products. Remark: prohibited in other products |
- Prohibited ingredients without maximum level of residue
Concerning the prohibited ingredients lacking maximum level of residue, risk assessment process for incidental residue caused by non-human factors has been established.
- Experimental methods for microbial limits
In the current market the number of categories and types of cosmetics are expanding. In light of this relevant experimental methods for testing microbial limits have been partly renewed to meet international standards.
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