PROTECTING THE YOUNGEST CONSUMERS – GNBS REVISES BABY SKIN CARE PRODUCT STANDARD
GNBS IN FOCUS
Kaieteur News – Your baby’s skin is highly sensitive and delicate, requiring special care and protection from irritants, allergens, and harmful substances. Understanding this, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has introduced the first revision of GYS 179:1-2024 – Baby Skin Care Products – Part 1: General Requirements, a standard specifically designed to ensure the safety and quality of baby skin care products. The revised standard sets general requirements for products like soaps, shampoos, lotions, and wipes intended for newborns, infants, and young children.
The GYS 179:1-2024 standard is critical to ensure that baby skin care products in Guyana meet the necessary safety and quality criteria. A baby’s skin is more permeable than adult skin, making it more vulnerable to external chemicals. This updated standard provides clear guidelines to manufacturers, ensuring that products are safe, hypoallergenic, and free from harmful substances, such as parabens and sulphates. For consumers, it guarantees that the products they trust for their babies are rigorously tested and compliant with international safety benchmarks.
The GNBS, through its Technical Committee on Cosmetics and Pharmaceuticals, beganthe review of the standard in 2023, and the intent was to revise the standard to align it with the latest research and industry practices. The revisions, based on the Jamaican Standard, JS 250 Part 1:2000, includes updates to the scope, definitions, and key clauses related to raw materials, finished products, and preservation. In 2024, the National Standards Council officially approved the revised standard as GYS 179:1-2024.
The updated standard now includes several important changes aimed at enhancing product safetyand these updates reflect modern advancements in dermatology and manufacturing practices, ensuring that baby skin care products meet the highest safety standards.
For manufacturers, the revised standard provides a clear framework to ensure their products comply with internationally accepted safety and quality requirements. It encourages the use of safe, non-toxic ingredients and promotes good manufacturing practices, making it easier for companies to deliver high-quality products that meet consumer expectations.
For consumers, especially parents and caregivers, the GYS 179:1-2024 standard offers reassurance that the baby skin care products they purchase are designed to protect and nourish delicate baby skin. Products adhering to this standard are free from harmful chemicals, gentle on sensitive skin, and safe for everyday use.
By revising and updating this standard, the GNBS continues its mission of safeguarding public health and safety. The GYS 179:1-2024 standard is part of the Bureau’s mission to provide guidelines that protect consumers while promoting excellence in local industries.
The GNBS is responsible for adopting and developing national standards across various sectors, with over 600 standards available to date. These standards help to guide industries and protect consumers, ensuring that products meet established safety, environmental, and performance requirements.
For further details on how to access this and other standards, contact GNBS at (592) 219-0064-66 or via WhatsApp at 692-4627. You can also visit our Standards Portal: gnbsguy.com
