South Korea Requires Infant and Children Cosmetic Responsible Sales Managers to Establish Product Safety Data

On Jan. 15, 2019, South Korea released the new Cosmetics Act (No. 16298). New amendments will be effective on Jan. 16, 2020. The main amendments are as follows:

1. Responsible sales managers for cosmetics claiming or advertising for infant and children use shall establish and keep product safety data. Product safety data includes:

2. South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) shall conduct regular inspections of cosmetics claiming or advertising to be infant and children cosmetics. The inspection items include cosmetics safety data, consumer usage status and abnormal situations.

The age definition of infant and children for cosmetics, scope of claims, and retention period of product safety data, scope, time and procedures of MFDS regular inspection shall be stipulated by Ordinance of the Prime Minister.

The reason for the amendment of Cosmetics Act is that South Korean cosmetics users are getting younger, so consumers are paying more attention to the safety of cosmetics used by infants and children.