Vietnam Issues Notice on Adoption of 2021 Changes to ASEAN Cosmetic Directive (ACD)

On 22 December 2021В the Drug Administration of Vietnam (DAV), under the Ministry of Health, published Letter No. 14993/QLD-MP on the Updates of the Substances in Cosmetic Products on its website.

The letter announced Vietnam’s adoption of the latest changes to the annexes of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Cosmetic Directive (ACD) in accordance with the ASEAN Cosmetic Meetings held in June and November 2021.

3E Review

In 2021, the ASEAN Cosmetic Committee (ACC) hosted two virtual meetings (ACC and its related meetings) about changes to requirements in the ACD Annexes on the use of substances that are prohibited, restricted, and permitted in cosmetic products. The meetings resulted in the adoption of changes that affect the list of substances, based on the following events:

• ACC 33rd Meeting: 3–4 June 2021
• ACC 34th Meeting: 15–16 November 2021

Some of the ASEAN countries, including Malaysia and the Philippines, already adopted these changes in December 2021. And under Letter No. 14993/QLD-MP, Vietnam is now following in their steps by implementing the following changes to products circulated in the country:

• 227 new prohibited cosmetic substances (Annex II of the ACD)В
• 10 new restricted cosmetic substances (Annex III of the ACD)В
• Update requirements for one existing listed preservative substance, polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride (PHMB, polyaminopropyl biguanide) (Annex VI of the ACD)
• Inclusion of one existing listed UV filter substance, 2-ethoxyethyl (2Z)-2-cyano-2-[3-(3-methoxypropylamino)cyclohex-2-en-1-ylidene]acetate (Annex VII of the ACD)

Vietnam’s Cosmetic Regulation

Ministry of Health Circular No. 06/2011/TT-BYT/2011/TT-BYT on Regulation on Management of Cosmetics (Circular No. 06/2011/TT-BYT), dated 25 January 2011, is the primary regulation for the management of cosmetic products manufactured locally as well as cosmetic products imported for the Vietnam market. The regulation provides guidance on the notification process and required documents as well as setting out detailed requirements regarding cosmetic safety, labeling, and promotional activities. All imported cosmetic products must be notified to the DAV prior to circulation onto the market.

3E Analysis

The country also adopted the same implementation timelines for the changes as agreed by the ACC (6 October 2022 for changes related to prohibited ingredients and 6 April 2023 for changes related to restricted cosmetic ingredients). For those concerning UV filters, the implementation date for Vietnam was 29 December 2021. Manufacturers and importers of cosmetic ingredients and cosmetic products in the ASEAN market should consult the updated version of the ACD annexes as well as the national regulations in order to ensure full compliance.