On November 17, 2025, China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) officially released the final version of the Opinions on Deepening Cosmetics Regulatory Reform and Promoting High-Quality Development of the Industry.
The Opinions introduce 24 reform measures across five key areas, aiming to encourage innovation, optimize registration and notification management, strengthen risk control across the entire supply chain, enhance intelligent regulatory capabilities, and promote alignment with international standards. Highlights are as follows:
Facilitating New Product Launches in China
For international cosmetic products being launched in China for the first time, proof of sales in the country (or region) of manufacture is no longer required, following the regulations for products specifically produced for export to China.
Optimized Cosmetic Registration and Notification
- While ensuring product quality and regulatory compliance, similar products under the same brand—differing only in certain ingredients such as colorants or fragrances—may share safety and technical documentation during registration or notification.
- For cosmetics requiring re-registration due to a change in production site, original technical documentation can be used, except for microbiological and physicochemical testing reports.
Supplementary Technical Review Rules
Changes not affecting safety or efficacy claims may now be maintained by the registrant without submitting additional approval documents.
Relaxed Conditions for Efficacy Claims Evaluation
Except for claims related to whitening, sun protection, and anti-hair loss, registrants or notifiers may choose their preferred testing methods to evaluate product efficacy.
Promoting Alternative Methods to Animal Testing
- Focus on perming products, non-oxidative hair dyes, and new cosmetic ingredients in the monitoring period, accelerating the development, translation, and application of alternative testing methods, following the principle of “replace wherever possible.”
- Clarify the scope of exemptions from animal testing to minimize unnecessary use of animals.
Inclusion of Permitted Ingredients
Support the timely inclusion of ingredients that have been scientifically evaluated by internationally recognized authorities and have a history of safe use abroad into China’s permitted ingredient list, accelerating ingredient access.
Original source:
Official website link:
https://www.nmpa.gov.cn/xxgk/fgwj/gzwj/gzwjhzhp/20251117143349149.html