Last Updated on June 12, 2021 by The Health Master
Strict rules and the setting up of a Central Cosmetics Laboratory are expected to strengthen and bring in transparency to manufacture, quality control and market tracing on the derma product landscape.
This according to experts not only provides better clarity on manufacture and imports to the fast growing derma care industry but prevents counterfeit versions to safeguard access to misbranded and adulterated products which are unsafe for use.
Derma care covers face, hair and hand. Only the color cosmetics including hair dyes and lipsticks come specifically under the beauty classification.
Noting that the cosmetics regulations are now in a separate category with assigned rules under the purview of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, Dr BR Jagashetty, former national advisor to CDSCO, said that the industry will now have a proper direction. The creation of Central Cosmetics Lab and making it appellant lab will help a lot in the coming years.
Also read | FAQs on – Cosmetics Rules 2020
Even though the cosmetics rules have been carved out from the Drugs & Cosmetics Act into the new regulation, the chapters and rules have been expanded to include import, import registration and new cosmetics, said Dr DBA Narayana, expert on regulatory affairs.
However these rules would have introduced a norm for the regulation of sales either by way of licensing or registration which will help drug inspector to trace back the actual manufacturer in case of substandard or adulterated or spurious cosmetics are found in market, he added.
Terming it as a long awaited regulation, Dr Narayan said all along cosmetics received ‘band aid’ treatment where rules were mostly patched up. Even though cosmetics do not need to be regulated as strictly as drugs, except for their safety on application and use, yet for hair dyes, lipsticks and eye liners the safety concern was much needed.
The new rules for import of cosmetics are now in place with provisions for registration with the CDSCO. This is because globally there could be several new ingredients and substances being added to cosmetics to improve the skin texture.
Also read | FAQs – on Cosmetics (Series-1)
But if these ingredients have not been used in India, one would not know its impact on people of different natives, Now with the central cosmetics lab all imported products will get tested.
More over a dedicated facility is needed because testing for cosmetics is different from the drug analysis. While drug tests include analysis of impuritiesties, related substances and its dosage forms, in the case of testing is more on sensorial stability and safety of applications, said Dr Narayana.
Further, the new rules rightly insist that all imported cosmetics need to comply with the Bureau of Indian Standards where they exist.
If there are no stipulations in BIS, then the manufacturer has to provide their own specifications against which the Central Cosmetics Lab will conduct comprehensive testing for contaminants which are heavy metals and microbiology related, he said.
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