المملكة: 6 basic criteria governing the permissible allegations of cosmetics

The Food and Drug Administration offered the Gulf technical regulations for the allegations of cosmetics and personal care through the “reconnaissance” platform, with the aim of enhancing transparency in the cosmetic market and ensuring the commitment of products to the health and legal standards approved in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
This regulation aims to control ads and marketing allegations associated with cosmetics, to reflect the real information of consumers, while preventing misinformation or unprofitable allegations.
The commission stressed the need for allegations to be in line with Gulf laws, Islamic values ​​and community customs, in addition to taking into account the social, cultural and linguistic differences in every local market.

Basic criteria

The authority set 6 basic criteria that govern the allegations allowed for cosmetics, namely: legal commitment, where the allegations are compatible with Gulf laws and not to contradict Islamic values ​​and societal customs, and it is also prohibited to use any claim that suggests that the product has a license or approval from a Gulf organizational authority.
She explained that the second criterion is “honesty”, stressing that the allegations must be real and not include misleading information, such as the claim that the product is “free of preservatives” while it actually contains them.
The regulation stated that the third criterion is scientific proof, as allegations are based on scientific evidence installed by manufacturers, so that they can be verified according to the approved international standards. The authority confirmed that it is not possible to promote products with sun protection factors “SPF” without conducting the required tests to ensure their effectiveness.

The fourth criterion includes the scientific secretariat, as the body exaggerated the effect of the product, such as modifying images to show unrealistic results before and after use, and stressed that the product was not claimed with common characteristics between competitors, or suggesting effectively not proven by the available scientific evidence.
As for the fifth criterion, which is fair, the commission has prevented any allegations that reduce the competitive products or the permissible components, unless it is linked to a real benefit to the consumer.
The sixth criterion includes clarity and ease of understanding, so that allegations are understood for all consumers, regardless of their cognitive levels, so that the information provided is clear, accurate and directly related to the product.
The commission set examples of unacceptable allegations, for example, not to obtain, “makes the skin more youthful”, or “slows aging or aging” or “removes the scars and damages resulting from the sun”, “a remover or reduces pigmentation”, or ” He kills pathogens, “or” sterile/ eliminates bacteria/ antiseptic/ cleanses wounds “etc.