In Korea, a “functional cosmetic” may claim skin brightening, wrinkle improvement, UV protection or a few other effects after an MFDS review. For the ingredients below, at the amounts shown, a product can be reported without submitting efficacy data. This is a list of standard ingredients — not a safety rating, and not a cap on what other products may contain.
| Ingredient | Amount | Products |
|---|---|---|
| Broussonetia Extract 닥나무추출물 | 2% | — |
| Arbutin 알부틴 | 2–5% | 56 |
| Ethyl Ascorbyl Ether 에칠아스코빌에텔 | 1–2% | 3 |
| Oil Soluble Licorice(Glycyrrhiza) Extract 유용성감초추출물 | 0.05% | 5 |
| Ascorbyl Glucoside 아스코빌글루코사이드 | 2% | 71 |
| Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate 마그네슘아스코빌포스페이트 | 3% | 15 |
| Niacinamide 나이아신아마이드 | 2–5% | 1325 |
| (-)-alpha-bisabolol 알파-비사보롤 | 0.5% | 10 |
| Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate 아스코빌테트라이소팔미테이트 | 2% | 33 |
| Ingredient | Amount | Products |
|---|---|---|
| Retinol 레티놀 | 2,500 IU/g | 140 |
| Retinyl Palmitate 레티닐팔미테이트 | 10,000 IU/g | 24 |
| Adenosine 아데노신 | 0.04% | 1099 |
| Polyethoxylated Retinamide 폴리에톡실레이티드레틴아마이드 | 0.05–0.2% | — |
| Ingredient | Amount | Products |
|---|---|---|
| Salicylic Acid 살리실릭애씨드 | 0.5% | 228 |
For sunscreens the notice gives a maximum amount for each filter. Compare with the EU and the U.S. on Sunscreen filters: Korea vs EU vs U.S.
| Ingredient | Maximum | Products |
|---|---|---|
| Drometrizole 드로메트리졸 | 1% | 3 |
| Digalloyl Trioleate 디갈로일트리올리에이트 | 5% | — |
| 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor 4-메칠벤질리덴캠퍼 | 4% | — |
| Meradimate Menthyl Anthranilate 멘틸안트라닐레이트 | 5% | — |
| Oxybenzone Benzophenone-3 벤조페논-3 | 5% | — |
| Sulisobenzone Benzophenone-4 벤조페논-4 | 5% | 3 |
| Dioxybenzone Benzophenone-8 벤조페논-8 | 3% | — |
| Avobenzone Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 부틸메톡시디벤조일메탄 | 5% | 27 |
| Cinoxate 시녹세이트 | 5% | — |
| Uvinul T 150 Ethylhexyl Triazone 에칠헥실트리아존 | 5% | 37 |
| Octocrylene 옥토크릴렌 | 10% | 35 |
| Padimate O Ethylhexyl Dimethyl PABA 에칠헥실디메칠파바 | 8% | — |
| Octinoxate Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 에칠헥실메톡시신나메이트 | 7.5% | 47 |
| Octisalate Ethylhexyl Salicylate 에칠헥실살리실레이트 | 5% | 67 |
| Ensulizole Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid 페닐벤즈이미다졸설포닉애씨드 | 4% | 8 |
| Homosalate 호모살레이트 | 10% | 57 |
| Zinc Oxide 징크옥사이드 | 25% (as a UV filter) | 49 |
| Titanium Dioxide 티타늄디옥사이드 | 25% (as a UV filter) | 365 |
| Amiloxate Isoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate 이소아밀p-메톡시신나메이트 | 10% | 6 |
| Tinosorb S (bemotrizinol) Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine 비스-에칠헥실옥시페놀메톡시페닐트리아진 | 10% | 50 |
| Neo Heliopan AP (bisdisulizole disodium) Disodium Phenyl Dibenzimidazole Tetrasulfonate 디소듐페닐디벤즈이미다졸테트라설포네이트 | 10% (as the acid) | — |
| Mexoryl XL Drometrizole Trisiloxane 드로메트리졸트리실록산 | 15% | 11 |
| Uvasorb HEB (iscotrizinol) Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone 디에칠헥실부타미도트리아존 | 10% | 9 |
| Parsol SLX Polysilicone-15 폴리실리콘-15(디메치코디에칠벤잘말로네이트) | 10% | 27 |
| Tinosorb M (bisoctrizole) Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol 메칠렌비스-벤조트리아졸릴테트라메칠부틸페놀 | 10% | 13 |
| Mexoryl SX (ecamsule) Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid 테레프탈릴리덴디캠퍼설포닉애씨드 및 그 염류 | 10% (as the acid) | 21 |
| Uvinul A Plus Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate 디에칠아미노하이드록시벤조일헥실벤조에이트 | 10% | 61 |
| Ingredient | Amount | Products |
|---|---|---|
| 치오글리콜산 80% 치오글리콜산 80% | 3.0–4.5% (as thioglycolic acid) | — |
Source: MFDS — Functional Cosmetics Review Regulation, Annex 4 (Notice 2025-88, effective 2025-12-16) — “[Annex 4] Types of functional cosmetics exempt from submitting data”. Checked 2026-10-17. Products = K-beauty products we checked whose ingredient list contains it (any amount — labels don't show amounts).
A cosmetic that claims a specific effect the law names — mainly skin brightening, wrinkle improvement, UV protection, easing acne-prone skin and a few hair and body uses. It must be reviewed by or reported to Korea's MFDS before it can carry that claim.
No. It lists standard ingredients and amounts for which a product can be reported as a functional cosmetic without submitting efficacy data. It is not a safety rating, and other ingredients can still be used after a full review.
For sunscreen filters the notice gives a maximum. For brightening, wrinkle and acne ingredients it gives the amount (or range) a product must use to be reported this way.
Usually not. Ingredient labels list names in order, not amounts, so we only show whether a product's list contains the ingredient.
Korea's MFDS notice “Regulation on the Review of Functional Cosmetics”, Annex 4, read from the official National Law Information Center. We check it every week.