Cosmetic and Personal Care Products Regulation

Disclaimer: This document serves informational purposes only, does not constitute legal advice, and is no substitute for advice from legal counsel. It remains your sole responsibility to comply with the Cosmetics and Fragrances Laws and other contractual obligations towards Amazon. Any mention of the above laws in this document is for ease of reference only. Amazon does not provide any warranties about the completeness and correctness of these provisions or any other information in this document, and assumes no responsibility for any use of or reliance on this document.

Cosmetic/personal care products and perfume products trading/importing/selling/supplying/manufacturing/used within the United Arab Emirates are governed by two main legislations:

• The UAE Regulation for the Control of Cosmetics and Personal Care Products (the "Cosmetics Law")- Cabinet Decision No. 18 of 2014
• The UAE Regulation for the Supervision of Fragrances (the "Fragrances Law")- Cabinet Decision No. 5 of 2014

These legislations lay down regulations in relation to cosmetic products that include prohibitions and restrictions on certain substances, a requirement of a UAE-based point-of-contact, and labeling and packaging requirements.

What products fall within the scope of the Cosmetics Regulation?

The Cosmetics Regulation applies to any cosmetic product supplied or sold in the UAE. A cosmetic product can be broadly described as a substance or mixture made for the use and contact of the external organs and parts of the body (such as the skin, hair, nails, lips, teeth, genitals, or the mucosa of the oral cavity) for the purpose of cleaning, perfuming, changing appearance, enhancing smell, protecting, or keeping in good condition.

Excluded out of the scope of cosmetics regulation are medical products used to cure diseases and devices and tools accompanying cosmetics.

What are the labeling requirements for cosmetic products?

The mandatory information standard requires that the product ingredients be listed on the container or on the product itself, if no container is used. The information must be available when the products are at the point of entry. If the size, shape, or nature of the container or product prevents ingredient labeling by any of the above methods, the mandatory information standard requires that the information be shown in a way that allows consumers to be informed. This may be achieved by using swing tags, leaflets, brochures, etc. All information must be declared in clear Arabic or Arabic and English.

The following are the required components:

• Product name
• Brand name of the product
• Manufacturer detail
• Country of origin
• Ingredients
• Size or weight of the product
• Production & expiry dates or Period after Opening (PAO)
• Storage conditions; unless it is clear from the product name or presentation
• Instructions of use; unless it is clear from the product name or presentation
• Health warning notes; unless it is clear from the product name or presentation
• Code industrial number of product (bar code) & batch number
• Medical claims disallowed
• Pictures and illustrations that are inconsistent with the prevailing social customs and values shall not be used

Registration with Dubai Municipality

The company representative must register the company using the e-form available in the Dubai Municipality website and provide the following:

• Picture or artwork of the product illustrating all the required information, including shelf life, batch lot number, period after opening
• Free sale certificate from the country of origin (for imported products)
• Analysis and Ingredients report from the manufacturing company
• Test reports related to heavy metal, preservatives, and microbiology from an accredited laboratory
• ESMA certificate of conformity, if available (valid for one year)

Additonal Information

For more information on the cosmetics regulation, visit the following sites:

• U.A.E Cosmetic and Personal Care (CPC) Regulation
• Permitted and prohibited listing of Cosmetics on Amazon
• European Cosmetics main legislation
• Dubai Municipality – Circular regarding Cosmetic, Personal Care and Perfumery Products
• Dubai Municipality - Cosmetics, Personal Care, and Perfumes Label Assessment Application Procedures