Article 23 of the Saudi Cosmetics Law
المادة 23 من نظام منتجات التجميل
The article requires the Authority to warn the public about a cosmetic product when it considers that the product affects public health, using whatever means it sees fit.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا رأت الهيئة أن المنتج التجميلي يؤثر على الصحة العامة فعليها التحذير منه بالطرق التي تراها مناسبة.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 23 explained in plain English
This article deals with protecting the public from products that may pose a danger, and provides the following:
- Condition for application: the Authority considers that the cosmetic product affects public health.
- The duty: the Authority must warn against it. The wording "it must" shows that warning is a duty on the Authority once the condition is met, not merely an option.
- The means: the Authority chooses the methods of warning that it considers appropriate; the text does not specify any particular means.
A warning differs from the more severe measures in Article 24. Those apply when it is established to the Authority that the product is unsafe, harmful to health or not listed, and they include delisting, banning circulation, withdrawal, recall, or suspending circulation for a period the Authority sets. The warning in this article, by contrast, depends on the Authority's view of the product's effect on public health.
This article follows Article 22, which gives the Authority oversight and inspection of factories, warehouses, points of sale and shipments, which is often how the Authority learns of a dangerous product. Consumers can follow the Authority's warnings before buying or using products.
Practical example
The Authority observed that a type of skin-lightening cream widely used by consumers may affect public health, so it issued a warning about it through its website and accounts. Under the article this warning is a duty on the Authority, and it chooses the appropriate way to publish it.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 23 of the Saudi Cosmetics Law
Must the Food and Drug Authority warn about dangerous cosmetic products?
Yes. If the Authority considers that a cosmetic product affects public health, it must warn against it.
How does the Authority warn about cosmetic products?
By the methods it considers appropriate; the article does not specify any particular means.
What is the difference between a warning and withdrawing a product?
A warning is issued when the Authority considers that the product affects public health. Withdrawal is one of the measures the Authority takes under Article 24 when it is established that the product is unsafe, harmful to health or not listed.
More articles on Withdrawal and Recall of Cosmetic Products
- Article 24
When a cosmetic product is established to be unsafe, harmful or not listed, the Authority takes one or more measures: delisting, banning circulation, withdrawal, recall or suspension.
إذا ثبت للهيئة أن المنتج التجميلي غير آمن أو مضر بالصحة أو غير مدرج فعليها اتخاذ إجراء أو أكثر من الإجراءات الآتية: 1 - إلغاء إدراجه. 2 - حظر تداوله. 3 - سحبه أ
- Article 25
The article allows the Authority to suspend circulation of a cosmetic product for a period it sets if it suspects the product may violate the Law or its Implementing Regulations.
إذا شكّت الهيئة في أن المنتج التجميلي قد يكون مخالفًا لأحكام هذا النظام أو لائحته، فيجوز لها تعليق تداوله لمدة تحددها الهيئة.
- Article 26
The lister must withdraw or recall a cosmetic product when the Authority decides so; if it does not do so within the set period, the Authority withdraws and destroys it, as applicable, at the lister's expense.
إذا قررت الهيئة سحب المنتج التجميلي أو استدعاءه فيلتزم المُدرِج بالقيام بذلك، وإذا لم يقم بسحبه أو استدعائه خلال المدة التي تحددها الهيئة، فعليها سحبه وإتلافه -
- Article 27
The article prohibits circulation of any cosmetic product that the Authority has announced to be delisted, banned, withdrawn, recalled or suspended.
لا يجوز تداول منتج تجميلي أعلنت الهيئة إلغاءه أو حظره أو سحبه أو استدعاءه أو تعليق تداوله.
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.