Lok Sabha Question No. 486 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-04
Subject: Safety Hazards of Mineral oil in Cosmetics
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Bhartruhari Mahtab

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 486 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04 th  February, 2022

## SAFETY HAZARDS OF MINERAL OIL IN COSMETICS

## 486. SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of various studies that highlight health and safety hazards of usage of mineral oil in cosmetics and the other similar products, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government is aware that mineral oil, an industrially produced derivative of crude oil, is arbitrarily used in a variety of cosmetics including hair oil and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether crude oil contains many  toxins and carcinogenic materials and poorly manufactured mineral oil can retain some of these toxins and if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government to check the use of such adulterated mineral oil; and
- (d) whether the Government proposes to make it legally binding for manufacturers to print health warning labels describing the harmful effects of mineral oils on their products using text and/or pictures and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

- (a) to (d): Import, manufacture, sale and distribution of cosmetic products are regulated under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Cosmetics Rules, 2020.

No Cosmetic  shall  be  imported  or  manufactured  in  the  country  unless  it  complies with the standards prescribed under the Ninth Schedule, Cosmetics Rules, 2020 or any other standards of quality and safety, applicable to it, and other provisions under the Rules. The Cosmetics in finished form shall conform to the Indian Standards specifications laid down from time to time by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

BIS  has  laid  down  Indian  Standard  7299  (1974):  Specification  for  Mineral  Oil  for Cosmetic Industry,  Indian  Standard  4011  (2018):  Methods  of  test  for  safety  evaluation  of cosmetics  and  Indian  Standard  7123  (1993):  Specification  for  Hair  Oils  to  ensure  that cosmetics products of standard quality are manufactured/imported into the country and the raw  materials  specified  in  ANNEX  A  (Ingredients  which  must  not  form  part  of  the composition  of  cosmetic  products)  of  the  Indian  Standard  IS:  4707  Part  2  (List  of  raw materials generally not recognized as safe for use in cosmetics) are not be added in cosmetic products to be manufactured or imported in the country.

The  license  to  manufacture  Cosmetics  is  granted  by  the  State  Licensing  Authorities (SLAs)  appointed  by  respective  state  governments.  In  case  of  any  violation,  SLAs  are empowered to take action under the provision of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules made there under.

One of the conditions of the license is that the manufacturer or licensee shall provide and maintain adequate staff, premises and laboratory  equipments for testing the cosmetics manufactured, and the raw materials used for manufacture in such cosmetics.

As  per  the  rules  manufacturers  are  required  to  comply  with  Good  Manufacturing Practices as prescribed in Seventh Schedule and  Good Laboratories practices  as prescribed in Eleventh Schedule of Cosmetics Rules, 2020.

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