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Banned cosmetic ingredients every Thai consumer should know
Banned ingredients in cosmetics: what they are and how much consumers need to know
Banned ingredients in cosmetics are substances the Ministry of Public Health has declared must not be used as ingredients in cosmetics under the Cosmetic Act B.E. 2558 (2015). Anyone who makes, imports or contract-manufactures a cosmetic containing them breaks the law, and a Thai FDA leaflet says sellers of illegal cosmetics may also have goods seized and face prosecution.
The list is very long. Entries now run up to number 1709, and most are industrial chemicals, pesticides or substances you would almost never see on a label. Consumers do not need to memorise the list, but should know the small group that the Thai Food and Drug Administration (Thai FDA) keeps finding in illegal creams.
This guide is written for consumers. It explains what the banned list is, which substances are worth knowing, what Thai FDA documents say about their risks, and how to check the products you use. If you are a brand owner or manufacturer checking a formula, read the business version: Thai banned cosmetic ingredients: amendments No. 5 and 6.
Prohibited substances in cosmetics: the master list and recent amendments
The current list of prohibited substances in cosmetics starts with the Ministry of Public Health notification on names of substances prohibited as cosmetic ingredients B.E. 2566 (2023). It repealed seven earlier notifications and merged them into one list, entries 1 to 1610. Six amendments have followed.
| Amendment | What consumers should know |
|---|---|
| No. 2 (2024) | Adds deoxyarbutin as entry 1611 and limits dioxane contamination in finished products to 10 ppm |
| No. 3 (2024) | Adds DEET (diethyltoluamide) as entry 1612 |
| No. 4 (2025) | Adds entries 1613 to 1668, such as D4, nickel compounds, cobalt and methylmercuric chloride |
| No. 5 (2025) | Adds entries 1669 to 1685, such as acetaldehyde, styrene and petroleum products containing 0.1% benzene or more |
| No. 6 (signed 18 May 2026) | Adds entries 1686 to 1709, such as bisphenol S and melamine, and limits D4 to contamination of up to 0.1% |
Some entries are not absolute bans but allow unavoidable contamination only, such as mercury up to 1 ppm, lead up to 20 ppm, arsenic up to 5 ppm and cadmium up to 3 ppm in the finished product. Others are banned except under the conditions of the separate notification on restricted substances, as with hydroquinone below.
You do not need to remember entry numbers; they simply point back to the notification. When you see an unfamiliar name on a label, search it by name or CAS number in our ingredient search, which shows banned or restricted status and the source notification.
Substances banned in Thai cosmetics that turn up in illegal creams
Thai FDA consumer documents have stressed for years that the banned substances found in illegal cosmetics keep coming from the same group, especially in acne and melasma creams and creams that claim to whiten the face. The Thai FDA leaflet listing such products marks each one with the substance found: mercury compounds, hydroquinone or retinoic acid (vitamin A acid).
Matched against the annex to the 2023 notification, these are the substances consumers should recognise:
- Mercury and its compounds: entry 221, contamination up to 1 ppm. Read more in mercury in skin creams.
- Hydroquinone: entry 1233, banned except as allowed in the restricted-substances notification.
- Tretinoin (retinoic acid): entry 375.
- Steroids (glucocorticoids or corticosteroids): entry 300.
- Monobenzone (4-benzyloxyphenol): entry 178. Thai FDA material lists it among banned whitening agents.
- Antibiotics: entry 39.
- Minoxidil: entry 372.
- Lead and its compounds: entry 289, contamination up to 20 ppm.
Several of these are substances used in medicine. Putting them into products sold as cosmetics, with no control of dose and no professional supervision, is why the banned list covers them. If you see one of these names in a cosmetic's ingredient list, do not buy or use it.
Source: Annex to the 2023 MOPH notification on prohibited cosmetic substances · 2018 MOPH notification on substances that may be used
Hydroquinone dangers and why it is banned in creams
Hydroquinone is one of the most searched names in this group because it is often promoted in melasma creams, so many people ask how dangerous it is.
Risks according to the Thai FDA
The Thai FDA leaflet on illegal and dangerous acne, melasma and whitening products says hydroquinone causes irritation, white patches and permanent melasma. The Cosmetics Control Division's consumer article on hazards in cosmetics says this group of banned substances causes allergy, darker skin or permanent melasma.
The one exception has nothing to do with face creams
On the banned list, hydroquinone (entry 1233) carries the wording “except substances specified in the notification on substances that may be used”. The Ministry of Public Health notification on names, amounts and conditions of substances that may be used in cosmetics B.E. 2561 (2018) allows hydroquinone only in artificial nail systems, at no more than 0.02% after mixing, and only for use by professional nail technicians.
So a face cream, melasma cream or body lotion sold as a cosmetic that contains hydroquinone does not fall under this exception. If you see Hydroquinone in the ingredient list of a skin product, treat it as a reason not to use it.
You may have heard that hydroquinone is used in medicine. That is outside cosmetic law, and it is not something consumers should buy and use on their own from beauty shops or online stores. If you have concerns about melasma or your skin, see a doctor.
Steroids in skin cream and vitamin A acid: two more names to know
Another common search is about steroids secretly added to skin creams, together with vitamin A acid. Both groups are on the banned list for all cosmetic types.
Steroids
Entry 300 of the banned list covers glucocorticoids (corticosteroids) as a whole group, with no exception and no contamination allowance. A cream sold as a cosmetic should contain no steroid at all. Be wary of any product that promises unusually fast whitening, smoothing or acne results and has no label or manufacturer details you can check.
Steroids appear under many names because they are a group, not a single substance. If you are unsure whether a name belongs to this group, look it up in our ingredient search or ask a pharmacist.
Vitamin A acid (tretinoin, retinoic acid)
Entry 375 lists tretinoin (retinoic acid and its salts). The Thai FDA leaflet says vitamin A acid causes severe irritation and peeling and may harm an unborn baby, so people who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy should be especially careful with products of unknown origin.
Note that a similar-sounding name in a cosmetic is not automatically banned. Some vitamin A derivatives have their own rules. The right approach is to search the exact name printed on the label rather than guess from a similar name.
Newer names on the banned list you may see on labels
Beyond the substances found in illegal creams, amendments from 2024 to 2026 added names consumers may have seen on labels or in overseas news. Examples worth knowing:
- Deoxyarbutin (tetrahydropyranyloxy phenol): entry 1611, added by amendment No. 2 (2024). Its name looks like arbutin, but it is a different entry, so search the exact name on the label.
- DEET (diethyltoluamide): entry 1612, added by amendment No. 3 (2024), so it cannot be used as a cosmetic ingredient.
- D4 (octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane): entry 1613, a type of silicone. Amendment No. 6 allows contamination of up to 0.1% in raw materials or finished products.
- Formaldehyde: entry 1390 on the master list.
- Dioxane: entry 343, banned, with contamination of up to 10 ppm allowed in finished products.
Some of these usually arrive as contamination from raw materials rather than being added on purpose, and consumers cannot detect them from a label. Control rests with manufacturers and importers, who must reformulate and stop selling non-compliant products within the grace period each amendment sets.
What consumers can do is choose products with a responsible company you can trace, because a properly notified company has to follow new notifications and adjust its formulas.
How to check whether a cosmetic contains a banned substance
Consumers can check documents and labels themselves. This screens out a lot, even though it cannot replace a laboratory result.
- Read the ingredient list. A legal cosmetic must list its ingredients on the label. Look for any of the names above.
- Search names you are unsure of. Type the substance name or CAS number into our ingredient search to see its status and source notification.
- Check the notification number. Search the Thai FDA database and make sure the product name and responsible company match the label. See how to check a Thai cosmetic notification number.
- Check the Thai label. It must show the manufacturer or importer's name and address and the date of manufacture. The Thai FDA leaflet advises not to buy or use a product without them.
- Watch for claims beyond a cosmetic. Drug-like promises, such as melasma disappearing for good or whiter skin within days, are a reason to look more closely.
The limit is that anyone who deliberately adds a banned substance is unlikely to list it, so a label without banned names does not prove a product is safe. A Thai FDA note says most acne and melasma creams without the manufacturer's name and address were found to contain banned substances, so manufacturer details matter as much as the ingredient list.
Home tests shared online cannot settle the question. Even the preliminary kits officers use must be confirmed by a laboratory before prosecution. Shops and brand owners who need a real analysis can see our lab testing service.
- ✓Read the ingredient listNo mercury, hydroquinone, vitamin A acid or steroid names
- ✓Search names you are unsure ofUse the exact label name or CAS number in the ingredient search
- ✓Notification number found and matchingProduct name and responsible company match the label
- ✓Complete Thai labelManufacturer or importer and manufacturing date shown
- ✓Claims stay within cosmetic limitsNo promise that melasma disappears or skin whitens within days
Source: Thai FDA leaflet on illegal acne and melasma products · Thai FDA guide to searching cosmetic data
Found a cosmetic you suspect contains a banned substance?
- Stop using it, and do not pass it on or resell it.
- Keep it in its original container and photograph every side of the label.
- Keep proof of purchase: receipt, shop name, online store link and purchase date.
- Call the consumer hotline 1556; the Thai FDA leaflet advises pressing 0.
- If you have symptoms, see a doctor or pharmacist and bring the product.
The Thai FDA leaflet says sellers of illegal cosmetics may have goods seized, face prosecution and have their shop name published, so reporting helps stop the product reaching others.
Summary
- The banned list has more than 1,700 entries, but consumers should know the group most often found in illegal creams: mercury, hydroquinone, vitamin A acid and steroids.
- Hydroquinone is allowed only in artificial nail systems used by professionals, not in face creams.
- A complete Thai label, a traceable manufacturer and a notification number you can find are the first checks you can do yourself.
Read next: how to spot exaggerated health and beauty ads.
Frequently asked questions
How many substances are banned in Thai cosmetics?
The 2023 master list has entries 1 to 1610, and amendments have extended it to entry 1709 with amendment No. 6. Most are industrial chemicals; consumers mainly need to know the group found in illegal creams.
Can hydroquinone be used in cosmetics in Thailand?
Only in artificial nail systems, at no more than 0.02% after mixing, used by professional nail technicians. Face or melasma creams sold as cosmetics that contain hydroquinone do not fall under this exception.
If a cream's ingredient list shows no banned substances, is it safe?
Not necessarily. Anyone who deliberately adds a banned substance is unlikely to list it. Also check the manufacturer or importer, the manufacturing date and that the notification number matches the product.
Can steroids be used in cosmetic creams?
No. Glucocorticoids (corticosteroids) are banned as a whole group under entry 300, with no exception for cosmetics.
How do I check whether an ingredient on a label is banned?
Type the name exactly as printed, or its CAS number, into the ingredient search on this site. It shows whether the substance is banned, restricted or permitted, with the source notification.
Sources
- Cosmetic Act B.E. 2558 (2015) · Open source · Search our archive
- MOPH Notification on names of substances prohibited as cosmetic ingredients B.E. 2566 (2023) · Open source · Search our archive
- Annex list to the 2023 notification on prohibited cosmetic substances (searchable PDF) · Open source · Search our archive
- MOPH Notification on prohibited cosmetic substances (No. 2) B.E. 2567 (2024) · Open source · Search our archive
- MOPH Notification on prohibited cosmetic substances (No. 3) B.E. 2567 (2024) · Open source · Search our archive
- MOPH Notification on prohibited cosmetic substances (No. 4) B.E. 2568 (2025) · 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), signed 18 May 2026 · Open source · Search our archive
- MOPH Notification on names, amounts and conditions of substances that may be used in cosmetics B.E. 2561 (2018) · Open source · Search our archive
- Thai FDA leaflet on illegal and dangerous acne, melasma and whitening products · Open source · Search our archive
- Thai FDA leaflet listing illegal and dangerous acne, melasma and whitening products · Open source · Search our archive
- Hazards in cosmetics (Thai FDA consumer article) · Open source · Search our archive
- Deodorant products (Thai FDA consumer article) · Open source · Search our archive
- Thai FDA and the publication of test results for cosmetics containing banned substances (Thai FDA note) · 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.
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