Korean Cosmetics Export Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the ingredient, formulation, regulatory, packaging and trade terms you meet when sourcing Korean cosmetics — written for overseas B2B buyers.
A
Regulatory
AICIS (Australia)
Australia regulates cosmetic ingredients as industrial chemicals through AICIS, with importers required to register annually and to check e…
Regulatory
Animal testing ban
The EU prohibits both animal testing of cosmetics and the sale of products whose ingredients were animal-tested for cosmetic purposes; Kore…
Regulatory
ANVISA (Brazil)
Brazil's health regulator. Cosmetics are split into Grade 1 (notification) and Grade 2 (registration, covering sunscreen, hair dye and chil…
Regulatory
ASEAN Cosmetic Directive
The harmonised notification framework used across ASEAN member states, closely modelled on the EU regulation.
B
C
Regulatory
California Proposition 65
A Californian law requiring a warning when a product can expose consumers to listed substances above safe-harbour levels.
Regulatory
Canada Cosmetic Notification Form
Canada requires a Cosmetic Notification Form within ten days of first sale, plus bilingual English and French labelling and compliance with…
Regulatory
CFS (Certificate of Free Sale)
An official certificate stating that a product is freely sold in its country of origin, issued in Korea by the MFDS or a designated associa…
Regulatory
CGMP (Korea)
Korea's MFDS-audited Good Manufacturing Practice certification for cosmetics manufacturers.
Regulatory
Chinese domestic responsible person
The China-registered entity that files or registers the product with the NMPA and bears legal responsibility for it in China.
Regulatory
Claim substantiation
The evidence file behind every claim on the pack and in advertising.
Regulatory
Cosmetic vs drug boundary
A claim that a product treats or prevents a condition, or alters body structure, moves it out of the cosmetic category and into drug or qua…
Regulatory
COSMOS / ECOCERT
A voluntary European standard for organic and natural cosmetics covering ingredient origin, processing methods and packaging.
Regulatory
CPNP (EU Cosmetic Products Notification Portal)
The EU portal where every cosmetic product must be notified before being placed on the market.
Regulatory
CPSR (Cosmetic Product Safety Report)
The two-part safety assessment inside the PIF: Part A gathers the safety data on ingredients, exposure and impurities; Part B is the qualif…
D
E
F
Regulatory
FDA facility registration
The MoCRA obligation for every facility that manufactures or processes cosmetics for the US market to register with the FDA, including fore…
Regulatory
Fragrance allergen declaration
The EU obligation to name specified fragrance allergens individually on the label once they exceed 0.001% in leave-on or 0.01% in rinse-off…
Regulatory
Functional cosmetics
A Korean regulatory category, defined under the Cosmetics Act, covering products that make specified efficacy claims.
G
H
Regulatory
Halal certification
Certification that a product contains no ingredients or processing aids forbidden under Islamic law — most commonly ethanol and animal deri…
Regulatory
Heavy metal limits
Trace lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium and antimony limits set per market, tightest for products used near the eyes and lips.
I
J
M
Regulatory
Market surveillance
Post-market inspection by an authority, which typically means asking the responsible person to produce the PIF and claim substantiation wit…
Regulatory
MFDS (Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety)
Korea's regulator for cosmetics, drugs and food, formerly known as the KFDA.
Regulatory
MHLW (Japan)
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, which regulates cosmetics and quasi-drugs under the PMD Act.
Regulatory
Microbiological limits
Maximum total viable counts plus absence of specified pathogens, with a stricter tier for products for the eye area and children under thre…
Regulatory
Microplastics restriction
The EU restriction on intentionally added synthetic polymer microparticles removes rinse-off microbeads and, on staged deadlines, affects l…
Regulatory
MoCRA
The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022, the biggest overhaul of US cosmetics law in more than eighty years.
N
Regulatory
Nagoya Protocol
International rules on access and benefit-sharing for genetic resources.
Regulatory
New cosmetic ingredient (NCI)
An ingredient not yet on a market's permitted inventory, which must be notified or registered separately before it can be used there.
Regulatory
NMPA filing / registration (China)
China's market-entry route via the National Medical Products Administration.
P
Regulatory
PFAS restriction
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, used in some long-wear and water-resistant formulas, are being restricted across the EU and several US…
Regulatory
PIF (Product Information File)
The dossier the EU Responsible Person must hold and keep available to authorities for ten years after the last batch was placed on the mark…
Regulatory
Positive / negative ingredient list
Regulator-maintained lists of ingredients that are permitted — often with concentration limits and conditions of use — or prohibited outrig…
Regulatory
Product listing (US)
The MoCRA requirement to list each cosmetic product with the FDA, including its ingredients, its responsible person and the facilities wher…
Regulatory
Product recall
Withdrawal of a batch from the market for a safety or compliance failure.
R
S
Regulatory
Safety assessment
A documented evaluation that a formula is safe for its intended use at the declared concentrations and exposure levels.
Regulatory
SDS / MSDS
The Safety Data Sheet describing hazards, handling and transport classification for a material or finished product.
Regulatory
Serious adverse event reporting (SAER)
The MoCRA duty on the responsible person to report serious adverse events to the FDA within fifteen business days and to keep records of al…
Regulatory
SFDA / GSO (Gulf)
Gulf market entry runs through the SFDA in Saudi Arabia and the GSO technical regulations across the GCC.
T
U
Regulatory
UK SCPN and UK Responsible Person
Since Brexit the UK runs its own notification service, Submit Cosmetic Product Notification, and requires a UK-established Responsible Pers…
Regulatory
US OTC drug monograph
Sunscreens, anti-acne, antiperspirants and anti-dandruff products are regulated in the US as over-the-counter drugs, not cosmetics.
V
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