You are using an outdated browser and your browsing experience will not be optimal. Please update to the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Install Microsoft Edge

August 4, 2022

New Regulations for the Import, Distribution and Sale of Cosmetics in Cambodia

Subscribe to Updates

Cosmetics have become an essential feature of the modern lifestyle led by many consumers in Cambodia. Every day, a wide range of new cosmetic brands, variants, and formats enter the Cambodian market, catering to a growing consumer base. The market generally relies on the import of foreign cosmetic brands, making Cambodia an attractive market for overseas cosmetics companies, but local brands are on the rise as well.

Alongside the significant growth of the cosmetics market in Cambodia, and the Royal Government’s continuing push to increase consumer protection in Cambodia, in 2022, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) issued Prakas No. 0064 on the Requirements for Cosmetic Distribution (the Prakas). The Prakas applies to both locally manufactured and imported cosmetics, and both individual and businesses that trade in cosmetics.

The Prakas aims to regulate cosmetics and cosmetic business activities, to ensure that cosmetics distributed in Cambodia are of good quality and safe for use.  The key points contained in the Prakas are summarized below.

Legal Obligations for Trading Cosmetics

Any person trading in cosmetics, including wholesale or retail, and those that offer cosmetics as gifts or for testing, must ensure that the products are safe and meet the legal labelling requirements. Anyone trading cosmetics must respect the Law on Consumer Protection, with the Prakas highlighting key aspects of that law and referring to the applicable penalties under that law.

Online sellers of cosmetics must obtain an additional approval letter (for individuals) or a license (for legal entities) to operate an online business, issued by the MOC. In addition, they require a certificate for providing online services from the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications.

Interestingly, the Prakas does not refer to the cosmetic business licensing required under regulations issued by the Ministry of Health. As the Prakas does not outright contradict these regulations, we understand they still apply, and businesses must still obtain a cosmetic business license for almost all activities related to the trading of cosmetics.

Labelling Requirements & Information Standards

The Prakas repeats that cosmetics traded on the Cambodian market must have a product registration number from the Ministry of Health and it must be displayed on the label.

The Prakas further highlights that all cosmetics in the Cambodian market must adhere to any existing product labelling regulations, including the information standard provided under the Prakas. The label may not be misleading or deceiving to consumers.

The information that must be included on a cosmetic label—or packaging or leaflet if the product label is too small—is listed in the Prakas as follows:

  • name of product;
  • function of product;
  • instructions for usage;
  • ingredients or components;
  • country of origin;
  • quantity;
  • batch number;
  • manufacture date;
  • expiration date (if the product will expire within 30 months);
  • name and address of the company or person responsible for distribution in Cambodia; and
  • a warning message related to the product, if necessary.

The items under the information standard must be provided in Khmer language, as required under the Law on Consumer Protection (although the Prakas does not specifically highlight this language requirement).

Most imported cosmetics currently on the market do not meet the language requirement, so it will be interesting to monitor if enforcement will take place against non-Khmer, but otherwise complaint labelling.

Post Compliance Obligations

Traders of cosmetics are required to maintain proper records, including on the origin, quality, and quantity of the products, and information to facilitate the tracing of products. The records must be provided to the competent authorities upon request.

If traders become aware that their cosmetics are found to be of substandard quality, unsafe, or not in compliance with the information standards, they must initiate a recall, in cooperation with the Directorate-General of Consumer Protection Competition and Fraud Repression (CCF).

The CCF may take action against the traders that violate the Prakas and the Law on Consumer Protection, and has the power to actively inspect and investigate the market for compliance.

For more information on legal requirements in relation to cosmetic product business in Cambodia, please contact Tilleke & Gibbins’ Phnom Penh office at [email protected] or +855 23 964 210.

Related Professionals

Industries

Life Sciences

Practices

Customs and International Trade

Regulatory Affairs

Location

RELATED INSIGHTS​ 

May 11, 2026
Vietnam’s legal framework governing chemicals has undergone significant reform, with the Law on Chemicals No. 69/2025/QH15 (Law on Chemicals 2025) taking effect on January 1, 2026. Together with a comprehensive set of implementing instruments issued in January 2026, including three decrees (No. 24/2026/ND‑CP, No. 25/2026/ND‑CP, and No. 26/2026/ND‑CP) and two circulars (No. 01/2026/TT‑BCT and No. 02/2026/TT‑BCT), the Law on Chemicals 2025 has significantly reshaped chemical registration and management requirements. Determining What Constitutes a “New Chemical” Among the most notable changes introduced under the Law on Chemicals 2025 are the rules governing the registration and management of new chemicals, which must be registered with the authority before being placed on the Vietnam market. Although the concept of new chemical registration was first introduced under the Law on Chemicals 2007, the corresponding registration mechanism has remained largely dormant in practice. Under the Law on Chemicals 2025, a “new chemical” is defined as a substance that is not yet included in Vietnam’s National Chemical Inventory and the list of foreign chemical inventories recognized by the competent Vietnamese authority (List of Foreign Chemicals). On a literal reading, the definition in the new law may suggest that a substance qualifies as a new chemical only if it is absent from both lists. Accordingly, a chemical present in either list should be treated as an existing chemical without the registration burden. However, a different interpretation emerges from Decree 26, which specifically requires registration of “new chemicals” even where such substances already appear in the List of Foreign Chemicals. This implies that inclusion in a recognized foreign inventory does not automatically exempt a substance from new chemical registration in Vietnam. This inconsistency between the statutory definition in the Law on Chemicals 2025 and the implementing provisions of Decree 26 creates significant interpretative and compliance challenges. At
Read More
April 29, 2026
Effective June 22, 2026, Thai Industrial Standards (TIS) for food contact paper and cooking paper will be enforced as mandatory for sale in the Thai market. This move has important implications for product licensing and tightens hygiene, labeling, and chemical-safety requirements for food-contact and cooking paper products. Thailand is strengthening its regulatory framework for paper-based culinary materials against a backdrop of accelerating global commitments to ESG and sustainability, as such materials—particularly those derived from natural or recycled fibers—have emerged as key alternatives to plastics in food preparation, cooking, and packaging applications. As a result, regulators worldwide are tightening controls to ensure that sustainability initiatives do not compromise consumer safety, particularly regarding the potential migration of chemical substances into food. Regulatory Framework: Voluntary vs. Mandatory Standards Standards under the TIS regime are generally classified into two categories. Voluntary standards allow manufacturers or importers to apply for a product license and affix the TIS mark to demonstrate product quality and build consumer confidence, but compliance is not legally required. Mandatory standards, by contrast, require manufacturers and importers to obtain a product license and affix the TIS mark before placing products on the Thai market, and noncompliant products cannot be legally sold. Previously, the TIS standards for food contact paper (TIS 2948-2562) and cooking paper (TIS 3438-2022) fell under the voluntary standard regime, meaning that obtaining a TIS license and displaying the TIS mark was optional. However, due to the increasing use of paper in food preparation and cooking, the Thai Industrial Standards Institute has determined that upgrading these standards to mandatory status is necessary to enhance consumer safety. As a result, all paper intended for food contact or cooking purposes must now obtain a TIS product license prior to sale in Thailand. Scope of the Standards The primary distinction between the
Read More
April 22, 2026
A new decree in Vietnam brings significant implementation clarity to the country’s existing extended producer responsibility (EPR) legal framework. An EPR mechanism was first codified in Vietnam in the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection amid ongoing challenges surrounding the collection and treatment of product and packaging waste. The mechanism was progressively detailed through Decree No. 08/2022/ND‑CP and its successive amendments, but the regulatory framework remained insufficiently developed, notably in terms of support mechanisms for waste collection, recycling, and treatment. The newly launched regulations in Decree No. 110/2026/ND-CP (Decree 110), issued on April 1, 2026, and taking effect on May 25, 2026, stipulate fully and clearly the responsibility of manufacturers and importers to recycle products and packaging and to treat waste. Some key provisions of Decree 110 for manufacturers, importers, and related stakeholders are presented below. Subjects of EPR The Law on Environmental Protection assigns responsibility to manufacturers and importers for product and packaging recycling (under Article 54) or waste collection and treatment (under Article 55), depending on the type of products and packaging they produce or import. Decree 110 elaborates on these EPR provisions by specifying the responsible entities and listing out the types of products and packaging subject to recycling and waste treatment responsibilities. Decree 110 clarifies the responsible entities in special cases, such as when products under the same brand are made by multiple manufacturers, when there is a contract manufacturing or entrusted import relationship, and when the manufacturer or importer is part of a corporate group. Notably, exemptions may be applied in some scenarios, such as for manufacturers and importers of products and packaging exclusively for export, temporary import and re-export, or research and testing purposes, as well as for entities with annual revenue from related products not exceeding VND 30 billion. Recycling Responsibilities Decree 110
Read More
March 30, 2026
In response to an emerging crisis on food safety, the government of Vietnam promulgated Decree No. 46/2026/ND-CP (Decree 46) on January 26, 2026, and Resolution No. 66.13/2026/NQ-CP (Resolution 66.13) on January 27, 2026, setting out a number of substantive changes to the procedure and strict requirements for the declaration, registration, and importation of food products. Both instruments took effect upon issuance. However, shortly after they entered into force, food businesses encountered significant implementation challenges, particularly with respect to state inspection procedures at the customs clearance stage for imported products. In response, the government issued Resolution No. 09/2026/NQ-CP (Resolution 09) on February 4, 2026, temporarily suspending Decree 46 and Resolution 66.13 until a new effective date of April 16, 2026. Continued Suspension of Implementation of Decree 46 and Resolution 66.13 After considering feedback gathered by the Ministry of Health from food businesses and other stakeholders during the suspension period, the Vietnam Government Office issued a notice on March 20, 2026, agreeing to extend the suspension until the issuance of an amended Law on Food Safety and its guiding decree. Following this notice, on March 22, 2026, the Ministry of Health prepared a draft resolution to implement the notice and replace Resolution 09. Under the draft resolution, the effectiveness of Decree 46 and Resolution No. 66.13 would continue to be suspended until the amended Law on Food Safety takes effect, except for the provisions under Resolution 66.13 allowing flexibility in documents evidencing product efficacy, which would take effect on April 16, 2026, and remain effective until the Law on Food Safety is replaced (but not later than February 28, 2027). Accordingly, for products subject to the registration declaration procedure, such as health supplements, efficacy may be substantiated by either (i) scientific evidence supporting the declared function and effects of the product
Read More