Is There a Clean Beauty Definition? Korea, EU and US Rules

There is no legal clean beauty definition. Korea’s Cosmetics Act, the EU Cosmetics Regulation and US federal law all leave “clean” undefined, so in practice the standard is whatever exclusion list a brand or retailer chooses to publish.

For a buyer, that means looking past the word “clean” to the actual ingredient list, the list of excluded ingredients and the evidence behind any “free from” claim. Here is how the term is treated in each market, step by step.

Step 1: Look for a clean beauty definition in Korean law

Article 2 of Korea’s Cosmetics Act¹ defines cosmetics, functional cosmetics and customised cosmetics, but not “clean beauty”.

In fact, Korea recently removed a related scheme from the law. An amendment promulgated on 31 January 2025 (Act No. 20767)² deleted the definitions of natural and organic cosmetics and the provisions on their certification, with transitional rules for abolishing the certification system. It took effect six months after promulgation, and certificates already issued remain valid until they expire.

So in Korea, words such as “clean”, “natural” or “gentle” are not legal categories. Claims using them follow the general rules: Article 13 bans labels or ads that deceive or mislead consumers, and Article 14 requires factual claims to be substantiated.

Step 2: Understand EU rules on “free from” claims

EU law does not define “clean” either. It does, however, address the claim type clean brands use most: “free from”. Annex III of the European Commission’s Technical Document on Cosmetic Claims (PDF)³ explains how the common criteria of Regulation (EU) No 655/2013⁴ apply to such claims. The document says its views are not legally binding, but it was agreed to apply from 1 July 2019.

Its examples include:

• Banned ingredients: no “free from” claim for substances already prohibited in cosmetics, such as corticosteroids.
• Functional groups: a “free from preservatives” or “free from colourants” claim means no ingredient from that group at all; “free from formaldehyde” is not allowed if a formaldehyde releaser is present.
• Denigration: claims that disparage permitted ingredients should not be accepted. The document says “free from parabens” denigrates the whole group, and gives phenoxyethanol and triclosan as further examples.
• Guarantees that cannot be given: “free from allergenic substances” is not allowed.
• Informed choice: claims that help a specific group, such as “free from animal-derived ingredients” for vegans, are acceptable if they meet the other criteria.

If you sell clean-positioned products in the EU, review every “-free” line on the pack against these criteria.

Step 3: Check the US position

The FDA’s page on organic cosmetics⁵ says “organic” is not defined in the laws or regulations the FDA enforces; organic claims for agricultural ingredients follow the USDA National Organic Program.

“Clean” has even less footing: trade publication Personal Care Insights reported that the 2022 Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA) provides no legal definitions for “clean”, “natural” or “green”.

Step 4: Expect retailer standards to differ

Without a legal definition, retailers write their own rules. A SPS Commerce overview notes that one major retailer restricts roughly 50 ingredients, another more than 2,700, and a third sets parts-per-million limits for certain contaminants instead of outright bans. A product can pass one store’s clean standard and fail another’s.

Step 5: What buyers should check

• The channel’s standard: if a store or marketplace runs its own clean programme, compare its exclusion list with the full ingredient list.
• Evidence for “free from” claims: ask for supplier declarations or raw-material information showing the ingredient is absent.
• Conflicts with local rules: in the EU, “paraben-free” and similar claims can be challenged.
• Old Korean natural or organic seals: Korea’s certification has been abolished, so check the certificate’s validity period for any seal still on packs.

SEONGWOO GLOBAL is the Official Distributor of irecipe, a Korean clean-beauty skincare brand best known for its cleansing balm.

Related pages: irecipe · Brands we supply · FAQ · Contact us · Cleansing balm vs cleansing oil · What is hanbang skincare · Korean functional cosmetics

Notes

1. Korea’s Ministry of Government Legislation, 화장품법, verified 2026-10-25. ↩

2. Korea’s Ministry of Government Legislation, 화장품법(법률 제20767호, 2025. 1. 31., 일부개정), verified 2026-10-25. ↩

3. Working Group on Cosmetic Products (Sub-Working Group on Claims), Technical document on cosmetic claims (PDF), verified 2026-10-25. ↩

4. Publications Office of the European Union, Commission Regulation (EU) No 655/2013, verified 2026-10-25. ↩

5. US Food and Drug Administration, “Organic” Cosmetics, verified 2026-10-25. ↩