Personal Care and the Regulatory Grey Area in Pakistan

Personal Care and the Regulatory Grey Area in Pakistan

 Here we have a quick look at the state of the industry in Pakistan regulating products such as the  Ultra V Gel and the Knight Rider Delay Cream.

While there is significant regulatory control (primarily through Drugs Regulatory Authority Pakistan) for pharmaceuticals and for homeopathic and alternative medicine – there is a significant gap where products meant for personal care can fit in.

While you may initially think that personal care would merely encompass products such as makeup, shampoos or perfumes – there are certain categories of products that do not fit neatly into the definitions of pharmaceuticals or alternative medicine and thus there is very little clarity on them.

Products dealing with intimate whitening, bust enhancement, feminine sanitary products and intimate care are not well regulated. The primary purpose of regulation that we hope for is to ensure that the products available in the market are beneficial and do not have substandard or hazardous ingredients.

Thus we have an entire selection of products that may be manufactured by reputable brands such as the Eveline White Prestige 4D Whitening Daily Intimate Gel 250 ML or Vince Lightnix Whitening Cream For Sensitive Parts 50 ML.

On the other hand there are products such as the Ultra V Gel 60 ML or the V-Gel Vaginal Tightening Gel 60 ML. Obviously we are NOT advocating that only well known brands should be allowed to sell products. What we are trying to point out is that while larger brands generally have well established standards that they follow ensuring that their products have properly labeled ingredients and directions. Smaller brands are able to glide past these requirements if not enforced.

Similarly, for men there are products that deal primarily with sexual health and this is a category that is not well regulated either. While condoms have to be registered with DRAP, products that are used alongside them such as lubricants or timing products such as the Knight Rider Cream and others often skip these formalities.

Several industry stakeholders have shifted emphasis from primarily pharmaceutical to personal care products for this very reason as they are able to thread the needle of regulations concerning such products and find a loophole where substandard labeling, ingredients or products are a possibility.