All ingredients in Amorepacific's raw materials and products are used for specific purposes and quality standards. Even if certain ingredients can be used legally, Amorepacific manages them as prohibited or restricted according to Amorepacific's internal criteria relating to customer concerns or safety assessment studies. This also means that the ingredients and its contents of Amorepacific's products are determined within the safety of the human body and the environment. Amorepacific's opinions on several controversial ingredients are listed below.

Animal-derived Ingredients

As a life-respecting company, Amorepacific is aware of various concerns about animal-derived ingredients and uses only limited cases restrictively such as honey extract. Amorepacific constantly makes efforts for customer trust about value consumption and saving the environment. In addition, even if animal-derived ingredients are unavoidable or essential, we are continuously developing and advancing technologies to replace them. More information on Amorepacific’s effort can be found below.

Vegan Material Technology

BHT

BHT(Butylated Hydroxytoluene) is a frequently used ingredient in cosmetics, food, and pharmaceuticals to prevent oxidation of raw materials and to keep quality stable. However, Amorepacific manages not to use BHT in products directly. Nevertheless, the quantity of unintentionally remaining BHT from raw materials is carefully managed in accordance with internal quality standards that are stricter than the safe level assessed by reputable global organizations.

Heavy Metals

Heavy metals exist naturally in the environment we live in, including soil, seawater, rivers, and air. Therefore, most countries and international organizations such as WHO establish and manage acceptable residue standards of heavy metals for each field, such as drinking water, food, cosmetics, quasi-drugs, considering the possibility of introduction from nature, limitations that cannot be completely eliminated technically, and safe levels when exposed to the human body. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's "Regulations on Cosmetic Safety Standards, etc." also sets acceptance standards for heavy metals such as lead, nickel, arsenic, mercury, antimony, and cadmium that may remain unintentionally in cosmetic products. Amorepacific conducts thorough quality control from raw materials to finished products by applying internal quality standards that are more stringent than global regulations so that customers can use our products with confidence.

MethylIsothiazolinone / Methylchloroisothiazolinone (MIT / CMIT)

Since their invention in the 1960s, MIT and CMIT have been widely used as preservatives in toothpastes, shampoos, body washes and sterilizing items. MIT and CMIT can only be used in wash-off cosmetics and some quasi-drugs restrictly in the EU, China, ASEAN, Canada, and Korea. However, Amorepacific does not use MIT and CMIT at all. In addition, raw materials of Amorepacific products can only be used after the internal quality management process confirms that unintentional residues of MIT and CMIT do not remained. We will continue to do our best to listen to all customers' voices and give trust.

Microplastic (Microbeads)

Microplastics (Microbeads) mean solid polymer particles having a particle size of a few milimeters or less that are used to exfoliate, polish or clean. It is cusrrently the most actevely discussed environmental issue in the world and is feared to affect the aquatic ecosystem. In terms of microplastic sources, secondary microplastics produced by decomposition of various wastes are considered a major source, and other causes such as worn tires and synthetic fibers are also studied. Many countries are concerned about the microplastic problem and are working hard for social agreement and strict regulations to reduce disposable plastic wastes. Although cosmetics contribute only a minor portion of microplastics, microplastics used in wash-off type cosmetics have been banned in US(2017), Korea(2017), Canada(2018), China(2020). Since 2014, before they were legally banned, Amorepacific with symphathy for global concerns has prohibited the use of microplastics in wash-off products and replaced them with natural ingredients. We will continue to work with the international community to prevent marine ecosystem pollution caused by microplastics.

Nanomaterials

Nanomaterials refer to unsoluble and intentionally maden substances with less than 100 nm size. Not only Scientific community but also many experts of various industries have been actively doing research about nanotechnology how nanomaterials affect the human body or the environment. Amorepacific uses only a few ingredients such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and carbon black within strict standards according to EU regulations.

Parabens

Parabens are a preservative widely used in foods, cosmetics, household goods, and pharmaceutical products to prevent the propagation of microorganisms. Parabens commonly used in cosmetics are methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben. After years of safety assessments and research, South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (KFDA) and other authorities around the world have evaluated that parabens are safe when used in a manner that does not exceed certain concentration limits. Consequently, the KFDA has guidelines on the types and amount of parabens permitted for use in each product category, such as cosmetics, quasi-drugs, hygiene products, and foods. However, Amorepacific understands that our customers may have concerns about parabens and their safety, and we want to emphasize that we do not use parabens in any of our products. Instead, we either replace them with alternatives or develop products that do not contain preservatives. We also produce containers that can prevent microbial growth during product use. We want to assure our customers who purchase and use our products that we will continue to follow internal safety standards, which are stricter than required by law, and reinforce firm controls on controversial ingredients.

PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances)

PFAS is used in cosmetics to help them stay on the skin or to give a more smooth feel. Also, in outdoor and household items, PFAS makes them waterproof and protects their surfaces from contaminations. However, the problem of accumulation in the environment or living organisms has been issued due to the hard-to-decompose characteristics. Accordingly, Amorepacific restricts the use of PFAS in raw materials and products to protect both the environment and human health.

Phthalates

Phthalates are a class of plasticizers. These are substances that are added to plastics to increase their flexibility and durability. Some of the phthalates are used in food packaging and medical tubes, however several countries prohibit some phthalates in toys, children items, food containers, and cosmetics according to the safety assessment results. South Korea’s cosmetics law by Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (KFDA) prohibits the use of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) as ingredients for cosmetic products. In addition, the maximum unintentional residues is limited to 100 ppm considering possibilities of traces of phthalates transuded from plastic containers and their parts to the content. We want to assure our customers who purchase and use our products that we will continue to follow internal safety standards, which are stricter than required by law. From the selection of raw materials to manufacturing the final product, Amorepacific implements rigorous quality controls in each step, including in the container selection process.

Preservatives

Preservatives, used in cosmetics, foods, household products and medicines to inhibit or decrease microbial growth, prevent decay or deterioration of products while they are being stored and used. However, due to some preservatives are thought to have possibilities of impact on human body, many countries allow only a few ingredients within specific concentrations by law. Amorepacific chooses preservatives more carefully than global standards and uses them only in the necessary products based on related researches to minimize effect on users while maximizing product quality.

Retinol

Retinol is Amorepacific’s representative anti-aging ingredient. In cosmetics, it is sometimes used in the form of retinyl palmitate or retinyl acetate, and it can improve skin texture as well as anti-aging. Retinol is the same ingredient as vitamin A found in health functional foods, and like other health supplements or nutrients, the recommended daily intake amount is set. Although the amount exposed through the use of retinol in cosmetics is much lower than the amount exposed through oral ingestion, Amorepacific uses retinol within a safe amount, taking into account the recommended intake in food. More information about Amorepacific’s retinol product technology can be found below.

Stabilization Technology of Retinol

Silicones

Silicones are used in cosmetics to provide a soft feeling or to keep the skin or hair moisturized. They can also be used to prevent bubbles from forming when the products are shaken. Because of their large molecular weight and chemical stability, it is well known that most of them do not interact with other substances or have negative effects on human health. However, Amorepacific voluntarily prohibits some silicones such as cyclotetrasiloxane in the light of the potential for harm. Furthermore, by proactively establishing internal standards, other silicones with environmental issues are also restrictly used.

Surfactants

Surfactants are substances that uniformly mix immiscible materials such as water and oil. Therefore, they are essential components of cosmetics that require cleansing effects or stable contents. Amorepacific uses only limited surfactants within restricted contents according to the strict internal quality standards based on numerous scientific reason, credible evaluation results, and internal safety evaluations.

Talc

Talc is a kind of natural minerals used to express a soft texture in the powder cosmetics or to prevent lumps in the contents. However, depending on characteristics of the soil by region where talc is obtained, it is concerned about possibilities of asbestos remaining, a carcinogen. As a result, each country allows talc to be used in cosmetics only if without asbestos. Amorepacific uses only talc from specific locations with extremely low possibilities of asbestos contamination, and the inspection result of no-asbestos is mandatory.

Triclosan

Triclosan has been widely used as a preservative to slow or stop the growth of microbes such as bacteria and fungi, lowering the risks of infections. After years of safety assessments and research by South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (KFDA) and other regulators around the world, triclosan has been evaluated as safe within certain concentration limits in permitted product types. According to South Korea’s cosmetics law, it is acceptable to use triclosan as a preservative within a 0.3% concentration for wash-off products (such as body cleansers), deodorants (excluding spray-type products), face powders, and concealers only. Other products are prohibited from using it. However, Amorepacific understands that our customers may have concerns about triclosan. Therefore we do not use it in any of our products. We want to assure our customers who purchase and use our products that we will continue to follow internal safety standards, which are stricter than required by law, and reinforce firm controls on controversial ingredients.

UV Filters

UV filters absorb or refract UV rays, protecting the skin from overexposure, which can cause skin aging and disease. As the wavelength range of absorption or refraction of each UV filters differ, two or three UV filter ingredients with legal kinds and concentrations are mixed in one product. However, many customers avoid using sunscreens or are confused how to choose the right sunscreen for them, because some UV filters are considered to have potential to affect the human body or the environment. Amorepacific has set and complied to the internal quality standards for UV filters that are based on researches of safety assessment, biodegradation properties, and irritations. To make customer feel safe, final products are also rigously tested without exceptions. We will make efforts to communicate with customers constanly to make trust.