Regulations and Market

01 Updated Cosmetic Safety Testing Standards

In early June 2026, China’s NMPA launched eight updated cosmetic safety testing methods covering chromium detection and genetic toxicity tests. Effective March 1, 2027, the revision upgrades industry safety benchmarks and standardizes finished product and raw material inspection across the domestic beauty sector.

02 New Import & Export Supervision Policies

The revised import and export cosmetics supervision measures, released in May 2026, will take effect in December 2026. Authorities canceled export filing requirements for manufacturers and launched remote inspection and on-site declaration services. Meanwhile, Shanghai’s imported cosmetic electronic label pilot greatly simplifies customs clearance, benefiting both overseas brands entering China and local brands’ global expansion.

03 Stricter Control on Harmful Substances

In mid-May 2026, NMPA revised three key safety standards to strengthen restrictions on harmful ingredients including phenylphenol, Acid Violet 43 and mercury compounds. The new mercury standard takes effect in July 2026, with the other two rolling out in June 2028, allowing existing inventory to sell through before enforcement.

Channels & Consumers

01 Local Brands Lead Industry Standardization & Offline Upgrade

In June 2026, Chinese skincare brand PMPM, together with industry associations and international giants like Estée Lauder, released China’s first group standard for oil-based essence products. Filling a major market gap for the booming oil skincare track, the new standard regulates product classification and core quality indicators. Backed by standardized development, domestic beauty brands are accelerating offline store and immersive counter layouts, boosting in-store trial services and customized skincare experiences to sustain robust offline growth.

02 Cross-border Beauty Channels Boost Full-chain Compliance

At the June 2026 NHNE Expo, leading cross-border beauty service provider GENES won the Annual Outstanding Channel Partner Award. It has built a strict global supplier screening system covering overseas factories and raw material suppliers, delivering full-chain compliance audits for imported beauty products. As cross-border consumption rises, professional compliant service providers are standardizing China’s cross-border beauty market.

International Companies & China Ingredients

01 Global Brands Accelerate Local Adaptation

From May to June 2026, international beauty groups actively adjusted their China strategies to adapt to updated local supervision rules. Multinational brands are partnering with domestic testing institutions and raw material suppliers to shorten product launch cycles. Multiple European and American niche beauty brands also plan China-synchronized new product debuts in H2 2026 to capture local market opportunities.

02 Upstream Cosmetic Ingredients Usher in IPO Boom

Following Winkey Technology’s 2026 BSE listing approval in May, China’s cosmetic ingredient sector has witnessed a capital boom. Leading domestic suppliers including Green Biotechnology and Huaheng Biology have submitted new IPO applications for domestic and Hong Kong stock markets. The ongoing capital expansion fuels industrial upgrading, helping break the long-term reliance on imported high-end cosmetic raw materials.

03 Characteristic Plant Ingredients Become Core Advantages

In Q2 2026, domestic ingredient enterprises ramp up R&D on exclusive Chinese plant extracts such as snow lotus and black ginseng. These natural, traditional cosmetic ingredients have been officially approved for cosmetic use, forming unique competitive edges for China’s upstream industry and lifting its global influence.