Taiwan officially Bans Antihistamine in Cosmetics

On June 30 Taiwan announced to ban the production and import of cosmetics containing antihistamine. Sales, supply and display of the cosmetics will be prohibited starting Jan 1 2017. Related license holders are required to apply for ingredient modification or cancellation of license before Jan 1 2017. Otherwise, their licenses will be annulled.

Antihistamine is usually used in shampoos for removing dandruff and relieving itching. It may irritate the mucous membranes, causing pain and redness. At present Antihistamine can only be found in cosmetics in America and Japan. But those cosmetics are subject to very strict supervision in the two countries. America regulates the cosmetics as drugs while Japan considers them as medicated cosmetics. In EU, ASEAN and China, Antihistamine is expressly prohibited.