How to read Korean cosmetics labels: ingredients, expiry dates and functional claims

By the Real Korea 101 editorial team · Published November 13, 2026 · Sources checked November 13, 2026

Short answer: A Korean cosmetics box follows a fixed checklist set by Article 10 of the Cosmetics Act. Look for four things: 전성분 (the full ingredient list, largest amount first), 사용기한 (the use-by date) or 개봉 후 사용기간 (how many months the product lasts after opening, always paired with the manufacturing date), 제조번호 (the batch number), and, for products that make whitening, wrinkle, sunscreen or similar claims, the word 기능성화장품 ("functional cosmetic") or the official MFDS logo.

What every Korean cosmetics box must show

Article 10(1) of the Cosmetics Act lists what the outer package must carry, whether the product comes in a single container or in a container plus a box:

1. The name of the cosmetic
2. The business name and address
3. All ingredients used to make it, except those excluded by ordinance (such as harmless trace ingredients)
4. The volume or weight of the contents
5. The batch number
6. The use-by date or the period of use after opening
7. The price
8. For functional cosmetics, the words "기능성화장품" or the MFDS design that represents them
9. Precautions for use
10. Other items set by ordinance

The "other items" are listed in Article 19(4) of the Enforcement Rule. They include a barcode; for functional cosmetics, the reviewed or reported effect and directions; the amount of an ingredient if its name is used in the product name; the amount of human cell or tissue culture fluid if the product contains it; the amount of the raw materials if the product is advertised as natural or organic; and, for imported products, the country of manufacture and the manufacturer's name and address.

If a product has an inner container inside a box, the inner container itself must still show at least the name, the business name, the batch number and the use-by date or period after opening (Article 10(2)).

Article 12 requires all of this to be written in Korean that is easy to read and understand, placed where it is easier to see than other text. Chinese characters or foreign languages may be added alongside it. That is why an export-style English sticker does not replace the Korean label on products sold in Korea.

Korean label words, translated

Annex 4 of the Enforcement Rule requires the manufacturer and the company responsible for selling the product to be labeled separately, unless one company does both. On an imported product, the foreign manufacturer and country must also be shown separately from any Korean manufacturer.

How the ingredient list works

Annex 4 sets the printing rules for the ingredient list:

• Size: at least 5-point type.
• Order: from the largest amount used to the smallest. Ingredients at 1 percent or less, fragrances and colorants can be listed in any order. So the top of the list tells you the main ingredients, but the order near the bottom tells you little.
• Blends: a mixed raw material must be broken down into its individual components.
• Shades: makeup, eye, hair dye and nail products whose colorants differ by shade may list all colorants after a "±" or "+/-" sign.
• Fragrance: may be written as 향료, except that allergens named by the MFDS must be listed by name. The MFDS notice lists 25 of them, such as linalool and limonene, and applies when they exceed 0.01 percent in rinse-off products or 0.001 percent in leave-on products.
• pH adjusters and soap: may be listed as the products of the neutralization or saponification reaction.
• Trade secrets: if the MFDS agrees that listing an ingredient would seriously harm a company's legitimate interests, it may appear as 기타 성분 ("other ingredients").

Article 19(2) lets companies leave out ingredients that are removed during manufacturing and trace components carried in a raw material below an effective amount, such as stabilizers or preservatives.

For what the common ingredient names actually are, see our Korean skincare ingredients glossary. If you have sensitive skin, our guide to patch testing and checking ingredients goes further into allergens.

Use-by date vs period after opening

The Cosmetics Act defines 사용기한 (use-by date) as the minimum period, counted from the date of manufacture and under proper storage, during which the product keeps its own characteristics and the consumer can use it stably. A box must show either a use-by date or a period after opening.

Annex 4 sets how each is written:

• Use-by date: words such as "사용기한" or "까지" plus the year, month and day. If only the year and month are shown, the printed month must not go beyond the actual use-by date.
• Period after opening: the words "개봉 후 사용기간" plus a number of months, written as "○○월" or "○○개월". Instead of the words, the box can show the open-jar symbol with the period next to it. The rule's own example is a product to be used within 12 months of opening.
• Manufacturing date is mandatory with a period after opening. Article 10 says that when a period after opening is used, the manufacturing date must also be shown. Annex 4 adds that the batch number, the date and the manufacturing date must each be easy to tell apart.

Functional cosmetics and what the mark means

Korea treats some cosmetics as 기능성화장품 (functional cosmetics). Article 2 of the Enforcement Rule lists 11 kinds, including products that:

• help whiten skin by preventing melanin build-up or lightening existing pigment
• help improve wrinkles by giving skin elasticity
• help tan skin gently or protect it from UV rays
• change hair color (not temporary colors) or remove body hair (not by physical means)
• help ease hair loss symptoms (not products that only make hair look thicker by coating it)
• help ease acne-prone skin (body and face cleansers only)
• help restore the skin barrier to improve itching, or fade the red lines of stretch marks

On the box you should see the words 기능성화장품 or the MFDS functional cosmetics logo, plus the effect and the directions that were reviewed or reported. For the last four kinds above (hair loss, acne cleansers, skin barrier and stretch marks), Annex 4 requires the sentence "질병의 예방 및 치료를 위한 의약품이 아님" ("not a medicine for preventing or treating disease") directly under the words 기능성화장품, in type at least as large.

The mark tells you the product's specific claim went through the MFDS functional cosmetics system. It does not mean the whole product is a medicine or that it will work for everyone. For sunscreens, our SPF and PA guide explains how the numbers on a functional cosmetic sunscreen are tested.

Small packages, samples and sets

Article 19(1) of the Enforcement Rule allows a much shorter label on two kinds of packaging: contents of 10 ml or 10 g or less, and samples made for customers to try rather than to sell. These may show only the product name, the company name, the price (for samples, a "sample" or "not for sale" mark instead), the batch number and the use-by date or period after opening. Two product types are excluded from this shortcut by MFDS notice: external feminine washes and eyelash perm products.

Products over 10 ml up to 50 ml (or over 10 g up to 50 g) must have a fuller label but may shorten the ingredient list. They must still name tar colorants, gold leaf, phosphates in shampoos and rinses, AHA, the active ingredient of a functional cosmetic and any ingredient with an MFDS usage limit. When ingredients are left out, the company must print a phone number or website where you can check the full list right away, or keep a printed full list at the store.

This article explains Korean labeling rules for consumers. Businesses selling cosmetics in Korea should read the current law text and MFDS notices directly.