BIS Specifications for Shampoo Business in India

An uncertified cosmetic can be as harmful as expired medication. India has a vast marketplace of different kinds of cosmetics. A product like shampoo has remained high in demand throughout the years. This lays the ground for possible adulteration. To curb this situation, the BIS have formulated several standards that ensure the availability of safer shampoo in the market. In this blog, we shall explore different standards around BIS specifications for shampoo in detail.

BIS Specifications for Shampoo (Soap-based)

BIS Specifications for Soap-based shampoo are as follow:

General Requirements

• Shampoo should not contain any trace of carcinogenic ingredients
• Environment clearance consent is mandatory for a shampoo manufacturer
• Shampoo should be dermatologically safe.
• The presence of biodegradable agents in the product should adhere to the limit prescribed under the ECO mark.

 Packaging requirements

• The product package must indicate all the Ingredients and their corresponding quantity.
• Presence of ECO Mark^[1] should be there
• The product’s material should adhere to the norms under labelling as per environmentally friendly packaging.

Ingredients

The raw material utilized in shampoo making should adhere to the requirements of Indian standards.

If dyes are present in the product, they must fulfil the underlying provisions.

Below-mentioned are the requirements for shampoo, soap-based –

Serial Numbers	Characteristics	Requirement	Method of Test Referred to
1.	Overall fatty matter, percent/mass, minimum	15	Clause 5 of IS 286:1978
2.	Matter which in not soluble , percent/mass, max	2.0	Clause 5 of IS 286:1978
3.	Height of the foam for 2 percent solution	150mm	Annex B
4.	Free caustic alkali percent/mass, max	0.01	Annex C

Sampling

• Testing of the product should be performed as per IS 3958: 1984
• Tests shall be conducted as per the composite sample.

If a sample cleared these tests, it shall be deemed that all the conformed requisites have been fulfilled.

Packaging and Marking

• A soap-based shampoo should be stored in glass or plastic made containers or as per the agreement drawn between the purchaser and supplier.
• The package must reflect the manufacturer’s name, the net volume of shampoo, production source, manufacturing code, and batch number.

The table below provides the better clarity on the use of raw material in soap-based shampoo,

Serial Number	Raw material
1.	Soap	Sodium and/or potassium soap
2.	Chelating agents	Sodium PolyphosphatesSodium Salt relating to Ethylenediamine tetra acetic acid
3.	Preservatives	AlcoholsSorbic AcidFormaldehyde Imidazolidinyl ureaEasters of p-hydrobenzoic acid
4.	Emollients	Lanoline and its derivatives
5.	Thickening Agents	Methyl CelluloseGuar gumSodium carboxymethyl celluloseMethyl isopropyl cellulose
6.	Other groups of ingredients	DyesPerfumesConditioning agents

BIS Specifications for Shampoo made for babies

BIS Specification for babies shampoo are as follow:

General Requirements

• It shall be in liquid, emulsion, or paste form. Colouring doesn’t matter here.
• Liquid baby shampoo should not contain sediments when examined visually.
• For emulsion baby shampoo, it must be homogeneous and should not reflect any sign of emulsion
• Paste-form Baby shampoo should not contain agglomeration

Ingredients

All the ingredients present in the baby shampoo should adhere to the underlying parameters unless specified.

• In the case of colourant, it must adhere to the IS 4707 & Schedule Q of D & C Rules.
• Ingredients other than colourant should adhere to the requirements of ARE 4707.
• Baby shampoo should be free from formaldehyde or agents releasing formaldehyde.
• Baby shampoo should adhere to the IS 4011 to perform a safety testing of the novel ingredients.

A baby hair shampoo should be in line with the following guidelines:

Serial no.	Characteristic	Requirement	Testing method ref to Annex/IS
	Non Volatile alcohol soluble matter , percent/mass, minimum	4	C
	Height of the foam for 2 percent solution, mm,  minimum	100	E
	Heavy metals, ppm, Max	20	F
	Arsenic, PPM, max	2	G

Packaging and Marking

• Details such as a list of ingredients, names etc., should be printed on the package.
• The package should also enclose the BIS-certified mark.
• A product meeting the underlying requisites might need to register under the conformity assessment schemes of BIS.

Product Sampling

• A baby hair product shampoo shall be withdrawn as per the IS 3958.
• A composite sample must be utilized to perform tests for all the requisites.

Conclusion

The BIS Specifications for Shampoo is a confusing subject matter considering the assortment in the standards applicable to this product. It is important to jot down the applicable compliance beforehand prior to BIS registration process.  If possible, hire a subject matter to simplify the process.

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