On August 25, 2026, the Thai Food and Drug Administration (Thai FDA) released the Examples of Inappropriate Texts for Cosmetic Advertising, compiling inappropriate advertising claims identified through inspections, market surveillance, and enforcement cases, to provide cosmetic operators with a reference for self-review before advertising is released to the public.
The document explicitly serves as guidance only and does not impose any new requirements beyond existing legal provisions; the appropriateness of specific advertising claims will continue to be assessed on a case-by-case basis according to the facts and communication context of each advertisement.
Background
Under Thailand's Cosmetics Act B.E. 2558 (2015), cosmetics refer to substances intended to be applied to external parts of the human body (including teeth and oral mucosa) by smearing, rubbing, spraying, dropping, inserting, fumigating, or other means, whose statutory purposes are limited to cleansing, beautifying, altering appearance, eliminating body odor, or maintaining body parts in good condition. Accordingly, cosmetic advertising should only present characteristics, efficacy, or uses that fall within the scope of cosmetics, and should be able to provide information or evidence to explain or support such claims.
The Thai FDA pointed out that claims which may cause consumers to misunderstand the category of cosmetics, or which present characteristics unrelated to the purpose of cosmetics, will lead consumers to receive incorrect information and may result in misunderstanding of the products. To help operators prepare advertising claims correctly and appropriately, the Thai FDA compiled the typical inappropriate claims identified during inspections, market surveillance, and enforcement into this guidance.
Key Contents: Two Categories of Inappropriate Claims
The guidance categorizes inappropriate claims in cosmetic advertising into two categories, with examples for each:
(1) Claims suggesting that the product or its purpose of use is not cosmetic
Cosmetics are intended for use on the human body, rather than serving as cleaning products for houses, utensils, food, or pets. Any claim that leads consumers to understand the product as being for objects or living beings other than the human body, or that implies a purpose of use beyond the scope of cosmetics, is inappropriate. Typical examples include:
- Wiping dishes and tableware
- Wiping, scrubbing, and washing clothes
- Wiping children's toys
- Can be used on all surfaces
- For pets
- Cleaning the house
- Cleaning cars
- Washing meat
- Washing fruits and vegetables / removing chemical residues from fruits and vegetables
- Killing germs on toys or various items
- Spraying on pillows / helping to fall asleep
- Adjusting air / lowering body temperature
(2) Claims involving beliefs, superstitions, and supernatural matters
Cosmetic advertising should cite characteristics that can be verified by scientific principles. Claims involving beliefs, rituals, or supernatural powers do not fall within the characteristics, efficacy, or purposes of cosmetics, and may cause consumers to misunderstand the essential nature of cosmetics. Typical examples include:
- Divine protection
- Enhancing fortune / dispelling bad luck
- For sacred rituals / offerings and worship
- Warding off evil
CIRS Reminder
Cosmetic enterprises exporting to Thailand should pay attention to the following compliance points:
- Full-channel claim review: every efficacy claim in product labels, packaging, e-commerce detail pages, social media, and livestream scripts should be verified to fall within the statutory purpose of cosmetics under Thailand's Cosmetics Act B.E. 2558;
- Avoid non-compliant wording: do not imply that the product can clean houses, tableware, clothes, pets, or other non-human-body objects, and do not use superstitious or supernatural expressions.
If you need any assistance or have any questions, please get in touch with us via service@cirs-group.com.
Our Services
- Thailand Cosmetic Notification
- Thailand Companies License Holding Services
- Product Information File (PIF) Preparation and Compilation
- Thai FDA e-Account Registration
- Formula and Packaging Review
- Product Testing Services
- Logistics and Customs Clearance
Further Information:
