South Korea Officially Releases Amendments to Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act

Baby and children cosmetics shall mark or label the content of preservatives on product packaging; Soap(solid), black hair powder and hair removal wax are newly classified as cosmetics; Fragrance allergens shall be labeled on cosmetic product packaging.

On Dec 31, 2018, South Korea released amended Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act and the new Enforcement Rule came into force immediately. The major amendments are as follows:

1. The following products should mark or label the content of preservatives on the packaging: (effective on Jan 1, 2020)

Baby cosmetics for infants under 3 years old (shampoo, hair conditioner, lotion, cream, baby oil, cleaning product and bathing product);
Cosmetics claimed or advertised as children products (under 13 years old, except for baby cosmetics).

2. Soap (solid), black hair powder and hair removal wax are newly classified as cosmetics (effective on Dec 31, 2019).

Solid soap is similar to liquid soap and is a product that directly contacts human skin. Liquid soap is already classified as a cosmetic, but solid soap has always been managed as a commodity, and in terms of its safety management occupied somewhat of a grey area. South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) considered it imperative to unify the management of liquid and solid soap.

3. All the cosmetics shall label fragrance allergens on the packaging (effective on Jan 1, 2020).

Fragrance allergens:

No.	INCI Name	CAS No.	No.	INCI Name	CAS No.
1	Amyl Cinnamal	122-40-7	14	Anise Alcohol	105-13-5
2	Benzyl Alcohol	100-51-6	15	Benzyl Innamate	103-41-3
3	Cinnamyl Alcohol	104-54-1	16	Farnesol	4602-84-0
4	Citral	5392-40-5	17	Linalool	78-70-6
5	Eugenol	97-53-0	18	Benzyl Benzoate	120-51-4
6	Hydroxycitronellal	107-75-5	19	Citronellol	106-22-9
7	Isoeugenol	97-54-1	20	Hexyl Cinnamal	101-86-0
8	Amyl Cinnamal Alcohol	101-85-9	21	Limonene	5989-27-5
9	Benzyl Salicylate	118-58-1	22	Mehtyl 2-Octynoate	111-12-6
10	Cinnamal	104-55-2	23	Evernia Prunastri	90028-68-5
11	Coumarin	91-64-5	24	Evermia Furfuracea	90028-67-4
12	Geraniol	106-24-1	25	Alpha-Isomethyl lonone	127-51-5
13	Hydroxyisohexyl-3- Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde	31906-04-4	26	Butylphenyl Methypropional	80-54-6

4. Relax standards for qualifications for cosmetic manufacturing sales manager. A cosmetic manufacturing sales manager can also be the following persons:

A person who majored in a field of medicine or medical science and completed at least 20 credits in chemistry, biology, life, genetics, fragrance, cosmetics, medicine, pharmacy, etc. and has at least 1 year’ s experience involving the manufacture, or quality management of cosmetics;
A person who completed “specialized training course for cosmetics manufacturing and sales managers” designated by MFDS (Only applicable to cosmetics designated by the head of MFDS. Effective on Jul 1, 2019).

5. A manufacturer or manufacturer-seller that intends to permanently cease business activities, suspend business, or resume business after a suspension shall submit a report to MFDS 20 days before business closure, suspension or resumption, together with a notification letter detailing compliance with the Enforcement Rule of Tax Law (effective on Jan 1, 2020).