South Korea Implements Amended Natural and Organic Cosmetics Standard

The definitions of ingredients from organic source, natural ingredients and ingredients from natural source are specified. The calculation method of natural and organic ingredients proportions is clarified. Cosmetic enterprises shall prepare relevant materials to prove their natural cosmetics comply with this Standard.

On July 29, 2019, South Korea implemented the amended Natural and Organic Cosmetics Standards ^[1]. Cosmetic packages labelled according to the previous Standard can continue to be used before July 29, 2020. The main amendments are as follows.

1. The regulation' s name is changed from "Standards for Organic Cosmetics" to "Standards for Natural and Organic Cosmetics ^[2]" , which means the current regulation includes the specific standards for natural cosmetics.

2. The definitions of ingredients from organic source, natural ingredients and ingredients from natural source are specified.

Ingredients from organic source: Ingredients processed by chemical or biological technologies permitted in Annex 5 of this Standard.
Natural ingredients: Organic, plant, animal and mineral oil ingredients.
Ingredients from natural source: Ingredients from organic, plant, animal and mineral oil source.

Ingredients that can be used in natural and organic cosmetics are 1) natural ingredients 2) ingredients from natural source 3) water 4) ingredients in Annex 3 and 4 in the Standard. The full list of permitted ingredients in natural and organic cosmetics has been uploaded to our Cosmelist.

The standards of manufacturing techniques, manufacturing facilities, packages and composition of ingredients of natural cosmetics are also newly added.

3. The proportion calculation method of natural ingredients is newly added, and the proportion calculation method of organic ingredients is clarified.

Natural and natural source ingredients concentration in natural cosmetics shall exceed 95%.
Natural and natural source ingredients concentration in organic cosmetics shall exceed 95%. Among them, organic and organic source ingredients concentration shall exceed 10%.

Detailed calculation method to determine the proportion of natural and organic ingredients are specified in Annex 7 in the Standard.

4. If enterprises want to claim or advertise their products as natural cosmetics, dossiers to prove the product meet this Standard shall be prepared before display, advertising, manufacture, import and sales and kept at least 1 year.

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