Thailand has recently implemented regulatory changes in the cosmetics industry, introducing a new list of prohibited ingredients and updating the requirements for permitted preservatives. These updates align Thailand's regulations with the latest ASEAN Cosmetic Directive revisions.

On June 22, 2023, the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand (MOPH) issued three notices through the 140^th Government Gazette of 2023, detailing the regulatory revisions pertaining to prohibited ingredients and permitted preservatives in cosmetics. These notices officially came into effect on June 23, with a transition period applying to some rules.

The key amendments are as follows (Additions or revisions to the previous lists are indicated in red, while removals are indicated by strikethrough):

1. New Prohibited Ingredient List

Thailand has issued a new List of Prohibited Ingredients in Cosmetics to replace the previous version published in 2016. This updated list incorporates all the modifications made by the Thai MOPH from 2016 to 2022, and includes additional 220 prohibited ingredients, totaling 1,610 substances.

Below are a few examples of the newly added prohibited ingredients:

It is important to note that cosmetic stakeholders who had already manufactured, imported, or sold products that contain the prohibited ingredient silver nitrate (No. 1391) before the effective date of this notice are granted a 180-day grace period to comply with the new requirements.

2. Revised Permitted Preservative

The permitted preservative polyaminopropyl biguanide has undergone revisions of its CAS number, maximum limit, and conditions of use. Furthermore, to ensure alignment with these updates, its ingredient information in the list of labeling requirements for permitted preservatives has been updated accordingly.

Manufacturers and importers of cosmetics containing the preservative polyaminopropyl biguanide (No. 26), produced or imported prior to the effective date of this notice, must adhere to these revisions within 180 days from the effective date.

3. Addition of a New Permitted Preservative

A new permitted preservative, hydroxyethoxyphenyl butanone (HEPB), has been added to the List of Permitted Preservatives in Cosmetics. This preservative is applicable to all cosmetics, with a maximum dosage of 0.7%. Its corresponding information has been included in the list of labeling requirements for permitted preservatives.

Chemlinked Comments

Thailand’s addition of 220 prohibited ingredients aligns with the updates made to the prohibited ingredients list of the ASEAN Cosmetics Directive (ACD), as adopted during the 34^th ASEAN Cosmetic Scientific Body (ACSB) meeting. Similarly, the revisions to the use requirements for the two permitted preservatives are consistent with the updates made to the preservatives list in the ACD, adopted at the 35^th ACSB meeting.

However, it is noteworthy that Thailand has implemented additional restrictions concerning the banned ingredient silver nitrate, distinguishing its requirements from those of the broader ASEAN region. Specifically, while silver nitrate is permitted for use in hair dye cosmetics exclusively for export purposes, Thailand prohibits export-oriented cosmetics containing silver nitrate sold at home.

Reference Links

[1] Notice of the Ministry of Public Health on Prohibited Ingredients in Cosmetics

[2] Notice of the Ministry of Public Health on Preservatives that Can Be Used as Ingredients in Cosmetics

[3] Notice of the Cosmetics Committee on Displaying Warnings on the Labels of Cosmetics Containing Preservatives

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