A set of 52 quality standards have been set up by The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) in Oman for a range of cosmetics, including aromatic lotions, creams, deodorants, oils and shampoos.

According to Shaymaa bint Khamis Al Balushiah, Quality Control Specialist of Chemical Products, at the Directorate General for Standards and Metrology in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, any cosmetics not covered by an obligatory ministerial decision should be accompanied by a document confirming the integrity and veracity of the product information issued by the manufacturing company.

Indeed the obligatory procedure for releasing or approving the import of cosmetics as prescribed by a ministerial decision requires every consignment to be accompanied by a certificate proving that it conforms to these standards, according to Al Balushiah.

She continued, “Documents proving that the consignment conforms to relevant standards are mandatory, which include release application, application for approving the import of cosmetics, copy of the commercial registration certificate and an examination report issued by a private laboratory registered by the Directorate General for Standards and Metrology or the laboratory of the manufacturing company.
“These documents should be approved by a government authority at the manufacturing company. They should also include a labelling card of the product, a purchase bill and a certificate notifying the importer or the manufacturer that the product conforms to the approved standards. This form is available at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.”

The importance of clearly displaying the name of the product on labels of cosmetic products that are due for sale, and also its purpose, should that not be clear from the method of preparation of the product. The product label should also be issued in both Arabic and English in compliance with the requirements of the standardised international Gulf standards No.: GSO ISO 22715 for cosmetics, packaging and labelling.

Other label requirements include the manufacturer’s name, trademark, country of origin, ingredients and any warnings related to the product. Other conditions include instructions for use, date of production, batch number, and expiry date.