Cosmetics can only be ‘rubbed, sprayed’, not injected: Govt body clarifies

PRoducts consumed in an injectable readying do non come below the category of cosmetics, the telephone exchange Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) said on Thursday in a public notice clarifying the meaning and use of cosmetic products in India. The government body clarified that only products used externally to “beautify” or “alter appearance” are cosmetics and that the terminology cannot be applied to products injected into the body.The notice covered key topics such as definition, ingredients used, prevention of injections, mislabeling of products, and treatments. It comes at a time when surgical beauty procedures that involve injecting substances into the body are becoming popular in India as cosmetic treatments.“Cosmetic means any article intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled or sprayed on, or introduced into, or otherwise applied to, the human body or any part thereof for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance, and includes any article intended for use as a component of a cosmetic," the notice stated, defining cosmetics as mentioned under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.Safety standards clarifiedConsumers, professionals and aesthetic clinics may only call those products or ingredients cosmetics which are either rubbed, poured, sprinkled or sprayed on the human body, the government body said.The move is meant to target beauty enhancements sold as cosmetic procedures in the country.The notice emphasised that the list of Generally Not Recognised as Safe (GNRAS) and restricted ingredients is published by the Bureau of Indian Standards.The CDSCO also banned the use of cosmetics for treatment purposes by individuals and professionals.Compliance with cosmetic labelling provisions were reinforced by stating how product and ingredient labelling must be wary of making any claims which may be false or misleading for their intended user. A warning was issued against altering, obliterating or defacing any inscription or mark made or recorded by the manufacturer on the container, label or wrapper of any cosmetic.Hence, the use of prohibited ingredients in cosmetic products, misleading claims on label, use of cosmetics for treatment, and application of cosmetics through injections were identified as violations of the stated Act & Rules. The public was encouraged to report any violations to the CDSCO Regulatory Authority or their respective State Licensing Authorities.