Korea Updates Two Regulations for Cosmetics Labelling and Advertising

On 29 Nov, Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) released the revised rules for labelling and advertising of cosmetics, which will take effect from 1 Mar 2014 and initially apply to products that are manufactured and imported for the first time.

The rules mainly put forward requirements for contents on labels or packages, instructions for use and advertisements, and outline claims that are prohibited and permissible to be used for different types of products. For imported cosmetic labelled and promoted in foreign languages, companies need to amend the labeling information accordingly and prevent labels from being damaged or falling off during circulation.

Korea National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation under MFDS also updated the guidelines for the testing methods used to verify functional claims on labels and advertisements based on its 2012 version according to the revised Korea’s Cosmetics Act. The updated guidelines are designated to discourage the false promotion of cosmetics while also improving the credibility of the domestic cosmetic market.

Functional claims that need to be verified are specified in the guidelines, including "moisturizing the skin", "improving skin elasticity", "regulating skin sebum secretion". "reducing cellulite temporarily" and "suitable for acne-prone skin”. 

Reference Links

• rules for labelling and advertising of cosmetics (in Korea)
• guidelines for the testing methods used to verify functional claims on labels and advertisements (in Korea)