Egypt adopts ISO 22716 standard for cosmetics production
The government also sees the reform as a way to strengthen Egypt’s position as a regional production hub for a fast-growing industry.
EGYPT – Egypt’s Minister of Industry, Khaled Hashem, has approved new licensing requirements for cosmetics manufacturing plants that align with ISO 22716, the international GMP standard for cosmetics production.
The move gives manufacturers a one-year grace period from April 16, 2026, to comply while keeping production running.
The new rules give manufacturers a one-year grace period starting April 16, 2026, to bring operations into compliance without disrupting production.
Under the ministerial decision, licensing conditions for cosmetics industrial facilities have been revised to reflect ISO 22716, with all related procedures and regulatory rules still in force.
The shift is meant to standardize factory controls across the sector and bring Egyptian plants closer to global manufacturing expectations.
Nahed Youssef, Chairperson of the Industrial Development Authority, stated, ¨Adopting ISO standards as a licensing reference will raise safety and quality levels while opening new export opportunities.¨
¨The Industrial Development Authority will provide technical support to factories during the transition period.¨
The one-year transition window is intended to give manufacturers enough time to adjust their facilities, systems, and documentation without slowing down output.
During that period, the Industrial Development Authority says it will provide technical support and guidance to companies working to regularize their status.
It is meant to support consistent quality management in cosmetic plants, focusing on manufacturing rather than research and development or broader environmental and personnel safety issues.
The decree was issued after the industrial licensing committee, formed under Egypt’s Industrial Licensing Facilitation Law and made up of representatives from relevant authorities and technical experts, recommended the move.
ISO 22716 is the global cosmetics GMP guideline covering production, control, storage, and shipment of cosmetic products.
This standard also focuses on how cosmetics are made, not on product marketing claims, and it covers the practical controls that reduce contamination and quality failures.
Egypt’s own cosmetics GMP standard, No. 8470/2021, cites ISO 22716/2007 as its main reference, which reinforces the country’s move to harmonize with international practice.
In a similar move, earlier this year, Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) implemented 11 new harmonized standards, enabling local cosmetics to penetrate East African Community (EAC) markets more effectively.
The standards target products such as aftershave lotions, baby oils, body oils, deodorants, antiperspirants, glycerine, hair sprays, lip balms, lip glosses, lipsticks, and shea butter.
They regulate critical elements, including raw material specifications, heavy metal thresholds, and microbiological limits, to safeguard consumer health and product integrity.
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