Countries Where Soap is Not Classified as a Cosmetic?
Do you consider soap to be a cosmetic product? In South Korea, soap was not treated as a cosmetic for a very long time. Prior to December 31, 2019, facial and body soaps were classified as general manufactured goods, regulated under the Electrical Appliances and Consumer Products Safety Control Act. Under this framework, there were no obligations for full ingredient labeling, rigorous safety assessments, or strict manufacturing facility standards typical of cosmetics.
However, since coming under the umbrella of the Cosmetics Act in 2020, ingredient safety standards and quality control have been significantly tightened. Thanks to this regulatory shift, the overall quality of facial soaps on the Korean market has noticeably improved. Interestingly, there are still countries around the world that do not view soap as a cosmetic or regulate it in a fundamentally different way than Korea does.
1. United States — Soap Under CPSC Jurisdiction
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explicitly excludes traditional soap from its definition of a cosmetic. If a soap consists primarily of alkali salts of fatty acids and is marketed strictly for cleansing purposes, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) rather than the FDA. In short, it is completely exempt from cosmetic regulations.
For this reason, it can be manufactured and sold without undergoing separate safety assessments or FDA ingredient registration. This regulatory flexibility allows artisanal soaps from small workshops or Amish communities to be distributed relatively freely, which is also one of the key reasons behind their affordable pricing.
However, products carrying claims like "antibacterial" or "improves skin troubles" may simply be presented as cosmetics or drugs under FDA regulations.
2. China — Soap Categorized Under National Standards (GB) for Detergents
The Chinese cosmetics market is strictly overseen by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). It is notoriously demanding, requiring pre-market registration for "special cosmetics" and rigorous filing procedures for "general cosmetics." However, traditional cleansing soaps are entirely exempt from NMPA jurisdiction.
Ordinary cleansing soaps that carry no specific efficacy claims are classified as "Category B Detergents" under China’s National Standards (GB). Therefore, they are not subject to the Cosmetics Supervision and Administration Regulation (CSAR), allowing for a much simpler import and customs clearance process compared to general cosmetics.
Just like in the U.S., adding functional claims such as "whitening" or "anti-acne" instantly reclassifies the product as a special cosmetic, triggering mandatory and stringent NMPA registration obligations.
3. Syria — Aleppo Soap Produced in a Regulatory Vacuum
Many skincare enthusiasts seek out Aleppo soap. This traditional soap, crafted from olive oil and laurel berry oil, boasts a thousands-year-old history and was officially inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2024.
While Aleppo soap is legally protected by a Geographical Indication (GI) and holds an official origin certification mark under Syrian law (established in 2007), the ongoing civil war since 2011 has left the country’s cosmetics and consumer product regulatory infrastructure in a state of practical collapse.
In other words, Syrian-made Aleppo soap is produced in an environment where the regulatory system itself is completely non-functional. For this reason, to avoid uncertainties regarding authenticity or hygiene control, products made and exported by master artisans who have relocated to Europe (EU) or Turkey and operate within proper facilities often serve as a better alternative in terms of quality.
4. Australia — An Ingredient-Focused, Lean Regulatory Approach
In Australia, soap is officially categorized as a cosmetic product. However, their regulatory approach is vastly different from that of South Korea or the European Union.
While Korea and the EU evaluate and register safety on a finished product basis, Australia regulates the individual ingredients going into the product as industrial chemicals, rather than the cosmetic product itself. As long as a business is registered with the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) and the ingredients used are listed on the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals (AIIC), the product can be sold without undergoing any additional procedures.
This setup means there is no pre-market product safety evaluation or registration obligation, akin to the EU system. Instead, labeling and product safety are overseen by a separate entity, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). This efficient regulation allows small-scale artisanal soap manufacturers to enter the market with relatively low barriers to entry.
The fact that soap sits outside traditional cosmetic regulations does not mean it is an inferior product. However, cosmetic regulations serve as a vital safety net for consumers because they mandate product safety assessments, the use of regulated ingredients, and strict manufacturing environment standards. When choosing a soap, understanding that different countries have different standards is highly recommended.