China Issues First Mandatory National Standard for Cosmetics, to Take Effect in 2028

en.Wedoany.com Reported - The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) officially issued the first mandatory national standard for cosmetics, the "General Safety Requirements for Cosmetics," on August 6, which will take effect on January 1, 2028. Drafted under the organization of the NMPA, this standard represents a significant update to China's cosmetics safety standards system, shifting the regulatory focus from traditional "sanitation management" to full life-cycle safety management covering raw materials, formulations, production, storage, and use.

Unlike the previous management model centered on hygiene indicators such as microorganisms and prohibited or restricted substances, the new standard further expands the scope of safety regulation. Formulated in accordance with current regulations including the "Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Cosmetics," the standard imposes systematic requirements on the safety of cosmetic raw materials and products in the form of a mandatory national standard, covering product development, raw material use, manufacturing, and end-use.

After the new standard is implemented, companies will not only need to complete safety assessments before products hit the market but also further strengthen supply chain management, raw material risk control, and production process quality management. For raw material suppliers, the new standard may drive improvements in their raw material safety documentation systems, enhancing toxicological evaluation, risk assessment, and quality control capabilities; brand companies, meanwhile, will need to revisit their product development processes and conduct compliance risk management early in the formulation design stage.

China's cosmetics regulatory system has been continuously accelerating its improvement in recent years. Since the implementation of the "Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Cosmetics," the safety assessment system has been gradually established, new raw material management and registration/filing procedures have been consistently optimized, and the regulatory approach is shifting from "post-market supervision" to "risk-preventive regulation." The NMPA has also promoted industrial innovation and development through measures such as optimizing registration and filing management, enhancing safety evaluation capabilities, and advancing regulatory digitalization.

China's cosmetics industry has continued to expand in scale and has become a globally significant beauty and personal care consumer market. As consumer attention on product safety, efficacy authenticity, and ingredient transparency grows, the upgrading of regulatory standards is also becoming a key driver of high-quality industrial development.

There remains a transition period before the "General Safety Requirements for Cosmetics" is officially implemented. Industry insiders believe that companies need to use this phase to complete internal system adjustments, including refining raw material supplier audit mechanisms, updating product safety evaluation procedures, strengthening quality management system development, and proactively adapting to the new standard requirements.

For the rapidly growing efficacy-focused skincare, active-ingredient skincare, and domestic innovative brands in recent years, the new standard not only means higher compliance thresholds but also serves as an important foundation for building long-term competitiveness. As regulatory standards advance toward internationalization and scientific rigor, competition in the cosmetics industry will gradually shift from marketing-driven approaches to comprehensive competition in R&D capabilities, safety systems, and innovation capacity.

Compiled from the National Medical Products Administration, CCTV.com, and China Food and Drug News