21 U.S.C. § 361
Section 361 · Adulterated cosmetics
This is § 601 of the All Kids Act
Amended 5 times on record
Applied in 30 court decisions — leading case Toilet Goods Association v. Wga Rdner (1967)
Most recently applied in 489 F. Supp. 2d 181 - Gonzalez v. L'OREAL USA, INC. (May 2007)
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
A cosmetic shall be deemed to be adulterated—
(a) If it bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance which may render it injurious to users under the conditions of use prescribed in the labeling thereof, or under such conditions of use as are customary or usual, except that this provision shall not apply to coal-tar hair dye, the label of which bears the following legend conspicuously displayed thereon: "Caution—This product contains ingredients which may cause skin irritation on certain individuals and a preliminary test according to accompanying directions should first be made. This product must not be used for dyeing the eyelashes or eyebrows; to do so may cause blindness.", and the labeling of which bears adequate directions for such preliminary testing. For the purposes of this paragraph and paragraph (e) the term "hair dye" shall not include eyelash dyes or eyebrow dyes.
(b) If it consists in whole or in part of any filthy, putrid, or decomposed substance.
(c) If it has been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated with filth, or whereby it may have been rendered injurious to health.
(d) If its container is composed, in whole or in part, of any poisonous or deleterious substance which may render the contents injurious to health.
(e) If it is not a hair dye and it is, or it bears or contains, a color additive which is unsafe within the meaning of section 379e(a) of this title.
(f) If it has been manufactured or processed under conditions that do not meet the good manufacturing practice requirements of section 364b of this title.
(g) If it is a cosmetic product, and the cosmetic product, including each ingredient in the cosmetic product, does not have adequate substantiation for 1 safety, as defined in section 364d(c) of this title.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2022—Subsecs. (f), (g). Pub. L. 117–328 added subsecs. (f) and (g).
1993—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–80 substituted "usual, except that this" for "usual: Provided, That this".
1992—Par. (e). Pub. L. 102–571 substituted "379e(a)" for "376(a)".
1960—Par. (e). Pub. L. 86–618 substituted "and it is, or it bears or contains, a color additive which is unsafe within the meaning of section 376(a) of this title" for "and it bears or contains a coal-tar color other than one from a batch that has been certified in accordance with regulations as provided by section 364 of this title".
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2022 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 117–328 effective on the date that is 1 year after Dec. 29, 2022, see section 3503(b)(1) of Pub. L. 117–328, set out as a note under section 331 of this title.
Effective Date of 1960 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 86–618 effective July 12, 1960, subject to the provisions of section 203 of Pub. L. 86–618, see section 202 of Pub. L. 86–618, set out as a note under section 379e of this title.
Effective Date; Postponement
Par. (e) effective Jan. 1, 1940, see act June 23, 1939, ch. 242, 53 Stat. 853, set out as an Effective Date; Postponement in Certain Cases note under section 301 of this title.
Effective Date
Section effective twelve months after June 25, 1938, except par. (a), which, with certain exceptions, became effective on June 25, 1938, see section 1002(a) of act June 25, 1938, set out as a note under section 301 of this title.
Construction; Confidentiality
Nothing in amendment made by Pub. L. 117–328, to be construed to authorize the disclosure of information that is prohibited from disclosure under section 331(j) of this title or section 1905 of title 18 or that is subject to withholding under section 552(b)(4) of title 5, see section 3503(c)(2) of Pub. L. 117–328, set out as a note under section 364 of this title.