Purpose & How This Policy Applies
This policy sets out the regulatory, listing, and enforcement requirements specific to wellness and cosmetic products sold on OBINRIN. It supplements the OBINRIN Trust & Safety Policy (Sections 2–4, 6, 9 and 10) and the OBINRIN Return, Refund & Cancellation Policy, and should be read alongside both. Where this policy is silent, the Trust & Safety Policy governs; where the two conflict on a matter within this policy's scope, this policy takes precedence for wellness and cosmetic products.
By listing a product in a category covered by this policy, the vendor confirms they have read, understood, and agree to be bound by it in full, in addition to the Trust & Safety Policy.
Before you list, you need:
- A NAFDAC registration certificate naming your exact product
- The registration number and its validity/expiry date
- That registration number visible on your live listing
1. Scope
1.1 Categories covered
Skincare & Beauty, Personal Care, Health & Wellness, and Intimates & Hygiene, and any product in another category carrying a cosmetic, therapeutic, medical, or health claim (e.g. a “scalp treatment” shampoo, a “detox” tea, a “libido-boosting” supplement).
1.2 Two regulatory tracks
- Cosmetics: skincare, haircare, body care, oral care, sun care, decorative cosmetics, perfumes, and other externally-applied products carrying no disease-related claim.
- Wellness / Herbal / Health: supplements, vitamins, herbal remedies, natural remedies, medical devices, and any product making a health, therapeutic, or medical claim.
1.3 Not eligible for listing under any circumstances
Prescription-only medicines, pharmaceutical drugs, and any product legally requiring a licensed pharmacist to dispense. These fall outside this policy and outside the OBINRIN marketplace entirely (Trust & Safety Policy, Section 5).
2. Mandatory Regulatory Documentation
Before a product in scope can be listed, the vendor must provide:
Cosmetics track
A valid NAFDAC Certificate of Registration for the specific product under the Cosmetic Products Regulation, 2023 or, for imported cosmetics, NAFDAC import registration plus a Free Sale Certificate from the country of origin.
Wellness / Herbal track
A valid NAFDAC registration number for the specific product under the applicable food, herbal, or health-product category, or other regulatory approval required for that product type (e.g. SON certification for a covered medical device).
In both tracks
- Documentation must name the exact product and brand being listed. A company-level or category-level registration, without a product-specific number, is not sufficient.
- The vendor must upload the certificate, registration number, and validity/expiry date at the point of listing.
- OBINRIN reserves the right to verify any registration number directly with NAFDAC or the relevant authority, and to reject or pause a listing pending verification.
3. Listing Requirements
Every published listing in scope must display:
- NAFDAC registration number
- Full ingredient list
- Net content / weight
- Manufacture and expiry dates
- Storage instructions
- Country of origin (for imported products)
- Vendor's registered business name, matching the name on the regulatory certificate
A listing missing any of the above, or missing a visible registration number, will not be published regardless of whether the underlying documentation exists.
4. Prohibited Claims
In addition to the general claims restrictions in Trust & Safety Policy Section 6, wellness and cosmetic listings, images, and Community posts must not:
- Claim a cosmetic product can treat, cure, or prevent a disease or medical condition this reclassifies it as a drug, which is not permitted on OBINRIN.
- Use unsubstantiated language such as “clinically proven,” “doctor recommended,” “instant results,” “permanent,” or “guaranteed” outcomes.
- Make skin-lightening, weight-loss, fertility, or anti-ageing claims beyond what the product's registered formulation supports.
- List a skin-lightening or bleaching product without confirming the formulation complies with current NAFDAC ingredient-concentration limits this category carries additional NAFDAC restrictions and is subject to closer review.
Where OBINRIN requests substantiation for a claim, the vendor must provide supporting documentation (clinical data, regulatory approval, or professional endorsement) within 48 hours. Non-compliant listings are removed immediately.
5. Verification & Ongoing Compliance
- No product in scope is published without valid documentation at the point of listing.
- OBINRIN may request updated or additional documentation at any time, including following a complaint or as part of a periodic review.
- On request, vendors must respond within 48 hours. Affected products may be paused from public view for the duration of the review.
6. Enforcement
- No valid documentation at listing: Listing not published
- Documentation not provided within 48 hours of request: Product removed from public view
- Non-compliance continues: Vendor store suspended
- Falsified documentation, or repeated / deliberate violation: Permanent account termination and no right to re-register
Vendors bear full liability for any regulatory penalties, fines, or enforcement action arising from a non-compliant listing in this category (Trust & Safety Policy, Section 3).
7. Returns-Category-Specific Note
Opened beauty, skincare, personal care, and intimates & hygiene products are non-returnable once opened, per the OBINRIN Return, Refund & Cancellation Policy (Section 4.2). This is a hygiene protection separate from, and not a substitute for, the regulatory documentation required under this policy.
8. Reporting
Buyers and vendors may report a suspected unregistered, unsafe, or misleadingly-claimed wellness or cosmetic product via the in-app Support function or support@obinrin.ng. Reports are acknowledged within 48 hours and investigated per Trust & Safety Policy Section 5 (products) and Section 7 (buyer complaints).
9. Vendor Indemnity
By listing a product under this policy, the vendor accepts the indemnity obligations in Trust & Safety Policy Section 9, including for claims arising from regulatory non-compliance, product safety failures, and misrepresentation.
10. Governing Law & Updates
This policy is governed by the NAFDAC Act, the Cosmetic Products Regulation 2023, and other applicable Nigerian legislation, together with the laws referenced in OBINRIN's General Terms & Conditions (Section 28). OBINRIN may update this policy at any time; material changes will be communicated per the Trust & Safety Policy's notification terms.