Regulations and Market
NMPA Initiates Development of a Cosmetics Standard for Ethyl Butylacetylaminopropionate
On July 7, the National Medical Products Administration, or NMPA, issued a notice approving the formal initiation of a cosmetics standard for ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate.
The notice instructs the relevant technical institutions to follow China’s administrative requirements for the formulation and revision of cosmetics standards. An expedited procedure will be used, covering standard drafting, experimental validation, public consultation, and technical review.
Current status: The announcement confirms only the formal approval of the project and the subsequent standard-development process. Final technical specifications, testing methods, and an effective date have not yet been released.
Hainan Regulator Proposes Cancelling 81 General-Cosmetics Filings
On July 7, the Hainan Provincial Medical Products Administration announced a proposal to cancel 81 general-cosmetics filings because the required annual reports had not been submitted.
As of June 30, 2026, twelve filing entities or domestic responsible persons in Hainan had failed to meet their 2025 annual-reporting obligations for general cosmetics and had not completed corrective actions within the deadlines set by the regulator.
The products concerned span multiple categories, including serums, facial masks, moisturizers, shampoos, and body creams.
Current status: The regulatory process remains at the proposal stage. The filings have not yet been formally cancelled.
Channels & Consumers
Sa Sa International’s First-Quarter Offline Sales Rise 29.3% Year on Year
On July 8, Hong Kong-based multi-brand beauty retailer Sa Sa International released unaudited sales figures for the first quarter of FY2026/27.
Offline sales in Hong Kong and Macao rose 31.0% to HKD 900.5 million, while offline sales in Southeast Asia increased 15.1% to HKD 91.7 million.
Over the same period, online B2C sales increased 26.1%, online B2B sales fell 44.9%, and total online sales declined 2.9%.
DR PLANT’s Prospectus Highlights a Large Offline Footprint and Mounting Growth Pressure
On July 11, Beijing News’ Shell Finance reported, citing DR PLANT’s updated prospectus, that the brand had built an extensive offline distribution network by the end of 2025.
| Indicator | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | RMB 2.150bn | RMB 2.155bn | RMB 2.166bn |
| Net profit attributable to parent shareholders | RMB 229m | RMB 242m | RMB 217m |
As of the end of 2025, DR PLANT had 2,513 distributors, 3,788 authorized mono-brand stores, and 480 directly operated points of sale, bringing its total offline footprint to 4,268 locations.
Over the same period, the number of authorized mono-brand stores declined from 4,124 to 3,788. In 2025, revenue generated through the distributor model accounted for 64.71% of the company’s principal operating revenue.
International Companies
Reckitt Opens a Global Science and Innovation Centre in Shanghai
On July 8, British health and hygiene consumer-goods group Reckitt opened a new Global Science and Innovation Centre in Shanghai’s Caohejing Hi-Tech Park.
According to the company, the facility represents Reckitt’s largest research and development investment in Asia and is one of its nine global Science and Innovation Centres. The centre will develop products for both the Chinese and international markets.
The facility combines R&D laboratories with a consumer-facing livestreaming studio, enabling research teams to collect real-time product feedback.
On the same day, Reckitt also launched its Catalyst social-innovation program in China.
Cross-Border Skincare Brand Yii Opens Its First Physical Counter in Hong Kong
On July 12, skincare brand Yii announced the opening of its first physical skincare counter at Facesss in Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, alongside the promotion of its Milk M Lotion.
The counter offers one-to-one skin consultations and product trial services. Company materials indicate that Yii was founded in 2025. Its formulations were co-developed with Japan’s ANDS Corporation, and its products are manufactured in Japan.
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