Thailand to Ban PFAS in Cosmetic Products

Regulatory Background

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals widely used in consumer and industrial products. In cosmetic applications, they are sometimes used to condition and smooth the skin to make it appear shiny, and also used to improve product spreadability. However, they do not readily degrade and will accumulate in the environment and in living organisms, posing potential health risks.
Several regions, such as the EU and the California state in the United States, have already prohibited the use of PFAS in cosmetics. Recently, New Zealand's Environmental Protection Authority released a draft proposal to ban all PFAS in cosmetic products by 2025 to align with EU regulations.

Thailand's Proposed PFAS Ban

On March 12, 2023, the Thai Food and Drug Administration (Thai FDA) revealed that it will follow in the footsteps of New Zealand and ban PFAS in cosmetic products. According to Thai FDA’s recent investigation through its database of registered cosmetics produced, imported, and sold in Thailand, no PFAS and its derivatives are found in these products.

To further strengthen their regulatory efforts, the Thai FDA will soon issue an updated list of prohibited cosmetic ingredients, including the following 13 kinds of PFAS and their derivatives. The draft notice has been reviewed by the Cosmetics Committee and is awaiting signature by the Minister.

No.	PAFS to be banned	CAS No.
1	Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS); heptadecafluorooctane-1 -sulfonic acid	1763-23-1
2	Potassium perfluorooctanesulfonate; potassium heptadecafluorooctane-1 -sulfonate	2795-39-3
3	Diethanolamine perfluorooctane sulfonate	70225-14-8
4	Ammonium perfluorooctane sulfonate; ammonium heptadecafluorooctanesulfonate	29081-56-9
5	Lithium perfluorooctane sulfonate; lithium heptadecafluorooctanesulfonate	29457-72-5
6	Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)	335-67-1
7	Ammonium pentadecafluorooctanoate	3825-26-1
8	Nonadecafluorodecanoic acid	335-76-2
9	Ammonium nonadecafluorodecanoate	3108-42-7
10	Sodium nonadecafluorodecanoate	3830-45-3
11	Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)	375-95-1
12	Sodium heptadecafluorononanoate	21049-39-8
13	Ammonium perfluorononanoate	4149-60-4

The FDA will continue to monitor such prohibited substances, and any violations of adding prohibited ingredients in cosmetics will be prosecuted and punished by law. The Cosmetic Act B.E. 2558 (2015) specifies that for any individual (enterprise) who manufactures or imports cosmetics containing prohibited ingredients for sale, an imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years, a fine not exceeding 500,000 baht, or both may be imposed. Any individual (enterprise) who sells cosmetics containing prohibited ingredients is subject to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years, a fine not exceeding 300,000 baht, or both.

Cosmetics enterprises are advised to pay close attention to updates on cosmetic ingredients and strengthen self-inspection during product production and sales to ensure compliance with Thai regulations.

ChemLinked Comments

Overall, Thailand's move to ban PFAS in cosmetics reflects a growing global trend towards more stringent regulation of harmful chemicals in consumer products. It is a positive step towards safeguarding public health and the environment.