What Korea bans, restricts and requires in cosmetics

Korea maintains lists of prohibited and restricted cosmetic ingredients, requires full ingredient labelling, and requires that a set of designated fragrance allergens be declared when present above set thresholds. The framework is broadly comparable in structure to the EU's.

Prohibited and restricted lists

For most ingredients Korea works from a negative list, publishing substances that may not be used and substances that may be used only within limits — an approach similar to the EU's. Anything not restricted may be used, with the manufacturer responsible for safety. Three groups are the exception and run on positive lists instead: UV filters, preservatives and colourants may only be used if they appear on the approved list. That is precisely why a Korean sunscreen's filter choices are constrained to a fixed set.

Full ingredient disclosure

Korean cosmetics must declare their full ingredient list. This is why K-beauty packaging is so text-dense, and it is what makes the kind of ingredient-list reading this library encourages possible in the first place.

Fragrance allergen declaration

A defined set of fragrance allergens must be named individually when present above threshold concentrations, rather than being hidden inside the word fragrance. For reactive skin this is genuinely useful information.

Animal testing

Korea has prohibited animal testing for cosmetics, with limited exceptions. This is part of why so many Korean brands can carry cruelty-free positioning credibly.

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✍️ Written & reviewed by the KoreaPlus Editorial team — dermatologist-informed, cosmetic-science researched & source-cited. Last reviewed: 2026-08-23.

General educational information using cosmetic structure-function wording — not medical advice. Always patch-test new actives. © KoreaPlus.