Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya recently announced to the press that the ministry will be boosting its enforcement of tests on cosmetics that are already on the market, as well as those in development.
The Health Minister was speaking in response to a recent product ban which is illustrative of this new, stricter approach.
The ministry banned a skin whitening product sold by Syarikat Vida Beauty which was found to contain mercury. The brand was ordered to remove its ‘Qu Puteh Whitening Pro 9’ product from the market immediately, and was given just 72 hours to comply.
Aligning products
With the rise of e-commerce, a ‘global beauty consumer’ is emerging, as customers look to buy products manufactured and sold across the globe.
As a result, consumers increasingly expect coherent global regulation, believing that the quality, efficacy and safety of the products they buy should be assured, regardless of where the products are manufactured.
“We are moving closer to having a global consumer, so the expectations on safety are higher than they’ve ever been,” the head of the Canadian Cosmetics, Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CCTFA) Darren Praznik has told CosmeticsDesign.
Regulatory alignment is also essential for trade across national boundaries, and is becoming especially crucial for the cosmetics industry in APAC region, as Asian beauty brands begin to dominate in the West.
Hurdles
One major hurdle for both countries and brands looking to get up to scratch when it comes to regulation is the rapid pace at which legislation across the region changes.
Speaking before the most recent in-cosmetics trade event held last year in Barcelona, Dr Khaiat, the founder of Seers Consulting, told CosmeticsDesign-Asia.com about the difficult rate of change brands are up against.
He explained that although sometimes a difficult feat, brands need to keep up with changes in order to present a viable beauty offering across the region: it seems Malaysia is one country now keen to up its game.