Ministry of Health requests removal of violating products
The Drug Administration of Vietnam (Ministry of Health) has just issued Official Dispatch No. 3442 to the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy (Ministry of Industry and Trade); the Department of Radio, Television and Electronic Information (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) on handling cosmetic business activities on e-commerce platforms and social networks.
According to the Official Dispatch of the Drug Administration of Vietnam, through information reflected by Lao Dong Newspaper published on September 4, 2026 in the article "Seizing 93,500 Make Sense hairspray products without invoices and documents" reflecting the content: Market Management Team No. 17 (Hanoi City Market Management Sub-Department) inspected and temporarily seized more than 93,000 Make Sense brand hairspray products manufactured in China.
At the time of inspection, the owner of the goods could not present invoices and documents proving the legal origin of these goods.
Next, on September 7, 2026, in the article "KOC still "covers" Make Sense hairspray livestream after the case of goods of the same brand being temporarily seized", Lao Dong Newspaper reflected that a TikTok account named T.L with more than 83,000 followers posted many videos advertising Make Sense hairspray products.
In which, a product introduction video attracted more than 25 million views. This account also livestreamed introducing and finalizing the order for Make Sense hairspray product. In the livestream session, when viewers asked about the origin of the product, the account holder affirmed that this is a domestic Chinese product.
The Official Dispatch of the Drug Administration of Vietnam (Ministry of Health) affirmed that, according to the search results at the National Single Window Customs Connected Import Cosmetic Product Declaration Receipt Number System, products with the Make Sense brand are not named in the list of imported cosmetic products that have been granted the Declaration Receipt Number.
Thus, no establishment has announced imported cosmetics for products bearing this brand.
To ensure safety for users, the Drug Administration of Vietnam requests relevant units to direct e-commerce platforms to inspect the business of Make Sense brand cosmetic products on social networking platforms; request to remove information about violating products; handle violations according to the provisions of law.
On the same day, the Drug Administration of Vietnam also sent an official letter to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health regarding the transfer of information reflected by Lao Dong Newspaper.
The Drug Administration of Vietnam requested the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health to inspect the implementation of regulations on announcement, business, labeling, and advertising of cosmetics for Makesense International Co., Ltd. (Vietnam). Among them, there are products bearing the Make Sense brand related to the content reflected by Lao Dong Newspaper.
In case of detecting violations, the Drug Administration of Vietnam requests strict handling according to the provisions of law and reports the results to the Drug Administration of Vietnam before September 25, 2026, and at the same time notifies the handling results to Lao Dong Newspaper.
Ministry of Industry and Trade affirms Makesense International has not carried out procedures on e-commerce
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Ms. Le Hoang Anh - Director of the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy (Ministry of Industry and Trade) said that through inspection on the Department's system, there is no information about this enterprise. This also means that this enterprise has never carried out procedures with the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy to sell goods on e-commerce platforms.
Mr. Hoang Ninh - Deputy Director of the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy - affirmed that Makesense International Co., Ltd. (Vietnam) has not registered on the system of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Usually, businesses can open their own websites. When opening a website, businesses must register with the Ministry of Industry and Trade if the website has an online ordering function. Currently, when we check on the system, this business has not registered. This means that the business has not carried out administrative procedures on e-commerce," Mr. Ninh said.
Answering reporters' questions about whether a product without a declaration dossier is allowed to circulate on the market, Mr. Ninh affirmed: "Definitely not. We have informed TikTok, requesting TikTok to provide this information".
The fact that e-commerce platforms set up booths, allowing business of products that do not meet the conditions for circulation in the market, while a series of KOCs directly livestream to introduce, promote, attach shopping baskets and finalize applications in large quantities, but documents proving the legality of products have not been strictly controlled, is raising the issue of legal responsibility of related parties.
According to Circular 06/2011/TT-BYT, cosmetics are only allowed to circulate after being granted a receipt number for cosmetic product declaration by a competent authority. Therefore, lawyer Hoang Ha (Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association) said - if the Drug Administration of Vietnam determines that the product does not have a declaration dossier, the Ministry of Industry and Trade believes that Makesense International has not carried out procedures on e-commerce, then putting the product into business does not meet legal conditions.
