FDA Thailand Thailand's banned cosmetic ingredients update No. 5–6 (2025–2026): what was added and when it applies
The base list and its amendments
The list of banned cosmetic ingredients Thailand applies is set by the Ministry of Public Health notification on substances prohibited as cosmetic ingredients, B.E. 2566 (2023), issued under section 6(2) of the Cosmetic Act B.E. 2558 (2015). Signed on 24 May 2023 and published in the Royal Gazette on 22 June 2023, it repealed all seven earlier banned-substance notifications and consolidated them into one list, numbered 1 to 1610, with names and CAS numbers.
The list did not stop in 2023. The Ministry has issued amendments that add substances and reword existing entries. This article summarises the two latest amendments in this site's regulation library, No. 5 B.E. 2568 (2025) and No. 6 B.E. 2569 (2026): what changed, when it applies and who needs to act.
A key principle: substances on the list are banned except those named in the notifications on substances that may be used under section 6(3). Some entries permit traces as contaminants; the 2023 list, for example, allows arsenic up to 5 ppm and lead up to 20 ppm in finished products. Read each entry's name, CAS number and any conditions.
Amendment No. 5 (2025): 17 new entries and entry 46 revised
Notification No. 5 B.E. 2568 was signed on 28 November 2025 and published on 24 December 2025. It applies to cosmetic manufacturers, importers and sellers, and has three parts.
| Part | Content | Effective |
|---|---|---|
| Entry 46 revised | Barium salts and barium peroxide, adding CAS 1304-29-6, except barium sulfate and substances in the section 6(3) notifications | As published |
| New entries 1669–1675 | Several groups of nickel compounds (1669–1673), quinoline (1674) and imidazole (1675) | The day after publication in the Royal Gazette |
| New entries 1676–1685 | 2-chloracetamide · acetaldehyde · N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone · 2-ethylhexyl-2-ethylhexanoate · petroleum, coal, tar and natural gas derivatives containing 0.1% w/w benzene or more · N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone · vinyl acetate · styrene · tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol · clorofene | 180 days after publication |
The 180-day period for entries 1676–1685 ran from publication in December 2025 and ended around mid-2026, so at the time of writing (October 2026) both groups are in force.
Read entry 1680 carefully: it does not ban all petroleum-derived materials, only those containing 0.1% w/w benzene or more. The list gives 177 CAS numbers for this group. Manufacturers using such materials should obtain benzene data from their suppliers.
Amendment No. 6 (2026): three entries revised, 24 added
Notification No. 6 B.E. 2569 was signed on 18 May 2026, published on 12 June 2026, and took effect the day after publication, with no stated grace period.
| Part | Content |
|---|---|
| Entry 1013 revised | 2-ethylhexanoic acid and its salts (CAS 149-57-5) |
| Entry 1230 revised | Theophylline (CAS 58-55-9) |
| Entry 1613 revised | Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4) banned, except as a contaminant in raw materials or finished products up to 0.1% (CAS 556-67-2) |
| New entries 1686–1709 | 24 substances, e.g. ammonium bromide (1686) · dibutyltin compounds (1687–1688) · tellurium dioxide (1689) · bisphenol S (1693) · perfluoroheptanoic acid (1695) · melamine (1700) · cumene (1705) · acetamiprid (1707) · pendimethalin (1708) · bentazone (1709) |
Many additions are industrial chemicals or pesticides that nobody adds on purpose but that can arrive with raw materials such as plant extracts. Check supplier quality documents as well as your formula's ingredient list.
For D4, the notification allows traces up to 0.1%: you may not use D4 as an ingredient, but small residues carried in by other materials within the limit are acceptable. Ask silicone suppliers for residual D4 data.
Who needs to do what
- Manufacturers and contract manufacturers: check every notified master formula against the new entries, reformulate where needed, and ask suppliers for contaminant data.
- Importers: obtain full formulas from foreign manufacturers and recheck, since a formula legal at home may contain something Thailand has just banned.
- Sellers: the notifications apply to sellers too, so shops and online platforms should make sure listed products contain no banned substances.
- Anyone about to notify: the Thai FDA notification system screens formulas automatically against legal conditions such as banned substances, preservatives, colours and UV filters, and returns failing applications with reasons.
Notification No. 6 states no grace period for products made or imported earlier. If you hold stock containing newly listed substances, take advice before continuing to sell it.
Reading the Thailand prohibited cosmetic substances list correctly
Banned-substance checks often fail because substances have many names. Watch for:
- Entries use chemical names, not always INCI names. Entry 1677 reads acetaldehyde; ethanal and entry 1684 reads tetrahydro-2-furylmethanol; tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol. Always search by CAS number as well.
- Some entries are groups: the nickel compounds in entry 1670 list 31 names, so one name search may miss them.
- Some entries carry conditions: entry 1680 applies only at 0.1% benzene or more, and entry 1613 allows D4 traces up to 0.1%.
- Substances named in the section 6(3) notifications are exempt from the banned list, so check both together.
How to check your formula
- Collect the full 100% formula with INCI names and CAS numbers for every raw material.
- Look up each substance in our Thai FDA ingredient search, which shows banned or restricted status and the source notification.
- Paste the whole formula into the formula checker to check everything at once, including concentration limits for restricted substances.
- Ask suppliers for relevant contaminant data, such as benzene in petroleum-derived materials and D4 in silicones.
- Record the results in the product information file for officers or customers.
For a written expert review of your formula, see our registration service or contact us via the contact page.
Worked example: rechecking one formula
Take a face serum with water, glycerin, two plant extracts, a silicone, a preservative and fragrance. After amendments No. 5 and No. 6, the recheck runs like this:
- Compare every raw material name and CAS number with new entries 1669–1709. If none match, step one passes.
- Ask the silicone supplier for residual D4; if it is confirmed at no more than 0.1%, it sits within entry 1613.
- Check whether the plant extracts have pesticide residue results, since No. 6 added several pesticides such as acetamiprid, pendimethalin and bentazone.
- Confirm that solvents used in extraction or in raw materials are not newly banned, such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone.
- File the supplier documents in the product information file with the date of the check.
The example shows that a recheck does not end at the formula list: it goes back to raw material documents, which is the slowest part. Having complete supplier documentation from the start makes every future recheck much faster.
Why the list changes so often
Thailand updates its banned list as new safety data and international practice evolve. The 2023 list was issued on the advice of the Cosmetic Committee, and the amendments since then have added substances in batches within a few years. Businesses that checked formulas once at notification and never again risk missing later additions.
A practical approach is to review formulas whenever a new notification appears, or at least at each renewal of the three-year certificate of notification. This site tracks Thai FDA notifications weekly and summarises new ones under new regulations; full texts are in our regulation library.
Frequently asked questions
How many entries did amendment No. 5 add?
Seventeen, entries 1669–1685, and it revised entry 46 on barium salts. Entries 1669–1675 took effect the day after publication; 1676–1685 after 180 days.
When did amendment No. 6 take effect?
The day after publication in the Royal Gazette on 12 June 2026, with no stated grace period.
Can D4 still be used?
Not as an ingredient. Traces as a contaminant in raw materials or finished products are allowed up to 0.1%.
Are all petroleum-derived materials banned?
No. Entry 1680 covers petroleum, coal, tar and natural gas derivatives only when they contain 0.1% w/w benzene or more.
Do cosmetic sellers need to care?
Yes. The notifications apply to manufacturers, importers and sellers of cosmetics.
Sources
- MOPH notification on substances prohibited as cosmetic ingredients, B.E. 2566 (2023) · Open source · Search our archive
- MOPH notification on prohibited cosmetic substances (No. 5) B.E. 2568 (2025) · Open source · Search our archive
- MOPH notification on prohibited cosmetic substances (No. 6) B.E. 2569 (2026) · Open source · Search our archive
- Thai FDA explanatory note on cosmetic notification and automatic formula screening · Open source · Search our archive
- Cosmetic Act B.E. 2558 (2015) · Open source · Search our archive
This article is for general information. It is not a Thai FDA ruling or legal advice, and rules change — check the latest notification or ask an expert before filing or producing.