Hello Sellers!

Welcome back to the Listings Lounge series. Today, I’m going to go over the policy for Skin lightning and whitening products.

Skin lightening and whitening products work by reducing melanin in the skin. Examples of these products can include, for example, bleaching creams, whiteners, skin brighteners, and fading creams. We want to ensure that products offered on Amazon are safe and there is no risk that they will cause death, personal injury, or damage to property. Skin care products that contain mercury are prohibited for sale on Amazon stores. All skin lightening and whitening products must be tested and comply with the specific regulations or standard requirements listed below:

• 21 CFR 700.13 (Cosmetic Testing – Mercury); and

• 21 CFR Part 710 (Voluntary Registration of Cosmetic Product Establishments); and

• 21 CFR Part 720 (Voluntary Filing of Cosmetic Product Ingredient and Cosmetic Raw Material Composition Statements)

If your product is flagged for potentially being a skin lightening and whitening product, listed below are the required pieces of information that will be requested of you in order to appeal your removed listings:

• Your company name and Seller ID

• Your email address and phone number

• A list of all skin lightening and whitening products

• Images of the product and product packaging

• Technical specification or safety data sheet that lists each ingredient and concentration or concentration range

• Certificate that demonstrates that the product is currently manufactured in a Current Good Manufacturing Practice Regulation (cGMP) facility

• Documentation that demonstrates participation by the selling partner, manufacturer, packer, or distributor of the product in the FDA’s Voluntary Cosmetic Registration Program (VCRP) – Form FDA 2511 (must match the product manufacturer listed on the product)

• Copy of the Cosmetic Product Ingredient Statement – Form FDA 2512

• Test results from ISO 17025 accredited lab that demonstrate that mercury is less than 1 ppm

Note: Test reports must contain images of the tested products that are sufficient to demonstrate that the product tested is the same as the product listed on the detail page.

For testing assistance, there is a comprehensive list of Service Providers linked here, however, Disclaimer: Please be aware that Amazon is providing these listings solely as an informational resource. If you choose to retain a service provider, you will be contracting directly with that provider, which will be providing services to you at your direction. Amazon does not endorse any service provider or its services. Any prices shown above in a converted currency are presented for your reference only, and the service providers may charge you in a different currency or amount, plus any applicable taxes.

Once you have gathered the requested information above, you can submit the documentation using the following steps:

1. In Seller Central, select the Performance tab and choose Account Health.
2. Under Manage your compliance in the bottom right corner, click Product Compliance Requests.
3. To add compliance or appeal for a single product, click Add/Appeal Compliance. To add compliance or appeal for multiple products, select each product on the left hand side of the product and click Action Selected Products at the top of the product requirement table to make a selection about how you would like to submit documents and information.
4. Provide compliance documents and information in the Provide Documents section, or provide appeal information and documents in the Appeal Request section.
5. Click Submit for Approval to send your submission for review by Amazon.

Have you experienced going through the process to appeal skin whitening products? Are there any best practices you'd like the share with your peers?

If you have a question about your specific skin whitening case, please create a new discussion, please begin a new discussion, select the Create and Manage Listings category, and use the tag ‘Compliance’. Share your case ID via your new thread, and a Community Manager will review the request and assist.

Want to continue this discussion in person? Please come visit our Forums Lounge at Accelerate this year from September 17-19, 2024. Spots are filling up fast. Also, please make sure to register virtually as well. It's free and we will have a lot of exciting updates and conversations.

Best regards,

- Manny