NEW DELHI: Cosmetic products will soon have to comply with stringent regulatory norms to ensure safety and efficacy. Companies launching new cosmetics will be required to submit safety data to the regulator for seeking approval.

Cosmetics will also have to comply with packaging standards prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and cannot use animals for testing, according to the draft rules. The drug regulator has notified draft cosmetics rules laying down regulations for testing, manufacturing and packaging of cosmetics.

This proposed regulation also covers imported cosmetics. At present, cosmetics are covered under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act but there were no separate regulations for cosmetics, allowing such products to often circumvent testing and other regulatory norms as many of the rules meant specifically for pharmaceuticals do not apply on cosmetics.

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