Regulation of Cosmetics: What has Malaysia Learnt from the European System?

J Consum Policy (2015) 38:3959

DOI 10.1007/s10603-014-9271-3

ORIGINAL PAPER

Z. Zakaria

Received: 12 December 2013 /Accepted: 4 September 2014 /

Published online: 14 December 2014# Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Abstract Cosmetics are very popular consumer products. Their ever-increasing sales have encouraged many producers to introduce cosmetics which are sometimes unsafe and cause adverse effects. In order to secure the safety of cosmetic products and to make the cosmetics trade more effective, the EU has harmonized its cosmetic regulations. This is the first region in the world to have done so. This harmonization model and many aspects of the EU regulatory framework have been followed and adopted by ASEAN countries as well as others around the world. As Malaysia is an ASEAN Member State, it has also adopted this system. This article takes Malaysia as a case study in order to determine how the EU model has been put into operation. Although there are a lack of resources and technical facilities, ASEAN has certainly benefited from the EU system, but there has also been a need to include additional requirements to tailor the EU Directive to the requirements of ASEAN countries, not least the greater lack of awareness by the public of the composition and dangers of cosmetic products.

Keywords Cosmeticsafety.Harmonizationofcosmeticregulations.EUCosmeticsRegulation. ASEAN Cosmetics Directive . Malaysia

Introduction

The global harmonization of cosmetic regulations has demonstrated that many countries in the world want to improve their cosmetic regulations. The main reasons for this are to guarantee the health of consumers and the safety of cosmetic products everywhere. Other reasons relate to the desire to standardize the common standards for these products, give equal opportunities for trade, and an enhanced ability for authorities to control the market. All of these improvements need to be made because cosmetics are now very popular consumer products and many are not safe and cause adverse effects. The possibility of these safety issues occurring anywhere is generally

Z. Zakaria (*)

Department of Shariah and Law, Academy of Islamic Studies, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysiae-mail: [email protected]

Regulation of Cosmetics: What has Malaysia Learnt from the European System?

40 Z. Zakaria

acknowledged, and as such, this makes it a global issue. The EU was the first region to harmonize its cosmetic...