South Korea Colorants: Newly Proposed Colorants & an Overview of Regulation Changes

On December 2, 2020, MFDS unveiled a draft of Types, Standards, and Test Methods of Cosmetic Color Additives ^[1] for public opinions. Stakeholders can send suggestions to seodh@korea.kr before December 22.

Main Proposals

1. Addition of Lycopene of Two New Origins

The exposure draft brought up the notion of 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”.

2. Other Amendments

1. The vague expressions about the verification test of "Mica" is changed.

2. The Color Index No. of "Dibromofluorescein" is amended from "CI 45370:1" to "CI 45370".

3. The "Beta-Carotene" is added with a new Color Index No. "CI 40800" and its verification test is optimized.

4. Two reagents and two solutions are approved for the general test of cosmetic color additives.

Although only a few amendments were proposed, the permission of synthesis Lycopene and Lycopene originated from microorganisms can be seen as an innovation. As stipulated in the present regulation, the Lycopene permitted for cosmetic is a natural color additive. Additionally, most of the notified colorants are from natural sources.

  Expert Opinions

Mike Shon ^[2], Korea Cosmetic Expert & REACH24H General Manager, explained that the "extraction from the natural materials," "chemical production," and "production in microorganisms" are the three general approaches for getting additives in Europe.

“Particularly, microorganism-originated Lycopene can be used as a food additive. There is no hazard to use it in cosmetics. By adding these new colors, we can find S. Korea commits to optimizing the cosmetic requirements to align with the international standards. This movement would certainly bring benefits to overseas companies trading with Korea.”

However, he emphasized that since the Korean cosmetic industry and consumers prefer "natural products", the authority might need to shift people's views and publish relevant guidance.  

Expert Introduction

Mike is a South Korea market access expert. He had been a researcher in Korea Cosmetic Industry Institute (KCII, an official agency in S. Korea). With comprehensive knowledge and experiences in South Korean laws, Mike has been invited as the key speaker more than 50 times worldwide. He is also acknowledged as a PR Agent of K-Beauty.

Mike joined REACH24H and ChemLinked in 2019. With his assistance, ChemLinked has helped numerous overseas companies successfully access to S. Korea market. Contact us at contact@chemlinked.com if you need market entrance assistance.  

 A Compendium of Colorant Requirement Updates in 2020

MFDS has approved 127 colorants for cosmetics up to now. (See the full list at ChemLinked CosmeList ^[3]). The amendments to the colorant requirements this year are:

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

(2) Three colorant is permitted for solid soaps.

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