India CDSCO Orders Cancellation of Cosmetic Import Registration for Misleading Claims

On 22 December 2025, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), under the Directorate General of Health Services, Government of India, issued an order cancelling the import registration of the cosmetic product QR678–QR678neo held by M/s Esthetic Centers International Pvt. Ltd. The product had been registered under the Cosmetics Rules, 2020; however, regulatory scrutiny identified significant discrepancies between the claims approved on the product label and those used in online marketing. While the product was registered as an anti-hair loss cosmetic, promotional materials described therapeutic uses such as treatment of post-chemotherapy hair loss, androgenetic alopecia, and seborrhoeic dermatitis, which constitute drug claims. CDSCO concluded that these representations violated the definition of cosmetics under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and Rule 36 of the Cosmetics Rules, 2020, which prohibit false or misleading claims. Despite the firm’s response to a show-cause notice, CDSCO determined that non-compliance persisted and ordered cancellation of the registration with immediate effect.