Taiwan to Regulate Infant Wet Wipes as Cosmetics from June 1st 2017

On early April, Taiwan FDA released a notice that they will regulate wet wipes for infants as cosmetics from June 1^st 2017. All wet wipes made for infants must obey the specific rules in Statute for Control of Cosmetic Hygiene.

Considering infants’ delicate skin, fragile cuticle and sebum layer and immature sweat gland, Taiwan FDA has decided to strengthen the administration of infant wet wipes. The definition of infant references the definition set by WHO, which means babies under 1 years of age.

The main regulatory changes for infant wet wipes include:

• The complete ingredients should be labeled;
• The factories must comply with the standards of cosmetic manufacturers;
• The advertisements should apply for approval in advance.

If the infant wet wipe label does not indicate the complete ingredients, the manufacturer will be fined up to NT$ 100,000 and all products would be confiscated and destroyed. If the factories produce infant wet wipes without registration of the production facility, the manufacturers would be sentenced to prison for up to 1 year or fined up to NT$ 150,000 and all products would be confiscated and destroyed.