Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency ("Agency") has published the version 5.0 of the Guideline on the Claims of Cosmetic Products ("Guideline").

The Guideline introduces a new obligation on "free from" claims meaning a substance or a group of substances are not contained in the cosmetic products. The Guideline that is prepared in order to guide producers, distributors, promoters, media institutions or intermediaries, for the issues to be considered in the claims of cosmetic products on the market, introduces new obligations on "free from" claims.

Under the Guideline, submission of an analysis report to the Cosmetic Products Department during the application procedure has become compulsory to prove the "free from" claim. This report will be obtained from the laboratories that meet the standards of Turkish Standards Institute ISO IEC 17025.

The Guideline highlights the following points regarding "free from" claims:

  • "Free from" or similar claims should not be made concerning the ingredients prohibited for use in cosmetics by Cosmetic Regulations numbered 8157.
  • If a cosmetic product is claimed to lack a specific component, this component should not exist in the product, nor should any component causing this component be released.
  • "Free from" or similar claims should not be allowed when they refer to an ingredient which is typically not used in the particular kind of cosmetic product.
  • The fact that some components are absent in the formulation of the product does not allow using "free from" or similar claims or implications as there is no risk of allergic reaction. 

You may reach the full Guideline through below link (only available in Turkish).

Guideline on the Claims of Cosmetic Products version 5.0

Information first published in the MA | Gazette, a fortnightly legal update newsletter produced by Moroğlu Arseven.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.