China Overhauls Cosmetic New Ingredient Regulations to Spur Innovation and Reduce Industry Burden
核心洞察
China's NMPA issued new Provisions on cosmetic new ingredient registration and filing, effective July 15, 2026, replacing the 2021 framework.
The reform narrows higher-risk ingredient categories, simplifies data submission requirements, and fully accepts animal-alternative testing methods.
A parallel application pathway now allows new ingredients and their associated products to be filed concurrently, accelerating market launch.
China's National Medical Products Administration (搜索) (NMPA) has unveiled a sweeping regulatory overhaul for cosmetic new ingredients, issuing two companion documents designed to streamline the registration and filing process, reduce R&D costs, and accelerate product commercialization. The new framework, announced on June 26, 2026, comprises the Provisions on the Administration of New Cosmetic Ingredients Registration and Filing Data and the Technical General Principles for the Data of Registration and Filing of New Cosmetic Ingredients, with the Provisions taking effect on July 15, 2026.
The reform marks a decisive shift from the more cautious approach established under the original 2021 Provisions, which the NMPA acknowledged had imposed overly stringent requirements on lower-risk ingredients, mixed administrative and technical mandates, and failed to keep pace with pro-innovation policy signals.
Classification Adjustments and Reduced Data Burden
A central feature of the new Provisions is the narrowing of the higher-risk function scope. The original list — which included preservatives, UV filters, colorants, hair dyes, skin-whitening agents, anti-hair-loss ingredients, anti-acne agents, anti-wrinkle ingredients (except physical anti-wrinkle), anti-dandruff agents, and deodorants — has been trimmed to only preservatives, UV filters, colorants, hair dyes, and skin-whitening ingredients. This realignment brings the higher-risk classification in line with the function scope requiring registration under China's Cosmetics Supervision and Administration Regulation.
Several data submission requirements have been converted from mandatory filing materials to documents retained by the enterprise for inspection. These include functional-basis data, test-method texts and validation data, and accelerated and long-term stability test data. The NMPA stated that this change aims to "fully mobilize enterprises' R&D enthusiasm, respond to industry calls, and drive high-quality development."
Embracing Alternative Methods and Existing Data
The new rules explicitly encourage the use of new technologies and methods, including animal-alternative test methods. Enterprises may now directly use alternative methods recognized by internationally authoritative bodies, a move the NMPA said will help "reduce international trade technical barriers and support Chinese beauty brands in going global." Additionally, companies adopting novel strategies for new-ingredient safety assessment may apply for communication with the technical evaluation body, provided sufficient scientific justification is presented.
To avoid redundant testing, the Provisions clarify that where toxicological tests have already been conducted using other Chinese national standards or internationally accepted methods, existing data may be utilized as long as the safety-assessment conclusion remains unaffected. Qualification requirements for testing institutions have been adjusted accordingly.
Parallel Application and Supporting Mechanisms
In a significant procedural change, the NMPA has established a concurrent application mechanism allowing new ingredients and their associated products to be filed in parallel, replacing the previous sequential process that required new-ingredient registration or filing to be completed before associated-product registration could begin. This is expected to meaningfully shorten the timeline for products incorporating novel ingredients to reach the market.
The NMPA also committed to providing unified format templates for the overview of the safety-risk monitoring and evaluation system, the annual safety-monitoring report, and the safety-risk control report, available free of charge on the cosmetic new-ingredient registration and filing information service platform.
Filing Activity Maintains Strong Momentum
The regulatory modernization comes amid accelerating new ingredient filing activity. According to NMPA filing data compiled by CIRS Group (搜索), six new cosmetic ingredients completed filing between June 15 and June 22, 2026, bringing the cumulative total for the year to 109. The filers span both domestic Chinese companies and international entities, including Wilmar Trading Pte. Ltd. (搜索) (Singapore), Intercos S.p.A. (搜索) (Italy), Nanjing Xunkai Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (搜索), Shanghai Huiwen Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (搜索), and Nuoweitai (Kunming) Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (搜索)
Among the newly filed ingredients, Naematelia sinensis ferment extract — filed by Nanjing Xunkai Biotechnology — represents a notable biotechnological advancement. The ingredient, derived from a rare medicinal and edible fungus endemic to the Himalaya and Hengduan mountain ranges, is produced through microbial deep liquid fermentation with a Tremella polysaccharide content of at least 90%. CIRS Group (搜索) noted that this production method "overcomes the limitations of wild N. sinensis resources and achieves efficient enrichment of active polysaccharides," offering advantages in purity, batch-to-batch stability, and scalability compared to traditional fruiting body extraction.
Another filing, Phallus impudicus fruiting body extract from Nuoweitai (Kunming) Biotechnology, highlights the continued interest in traditional fungal ingredients. The species, cultivated on a relatively large scale in Bijie City, Guizhou Province, has documented use in promoting blood circulation and relieving pain according to traditional medicinal references.
Industry Implications
CIRS Group (搜索) advised enterprises to closely monitor the classification adjustments and re-determine the registration or filing pathway for their new ingredients accordingly. The consulting firm also recommended that companies leverage the data-burden reductions, take note of the full acceptance of animal-alternative methods, and track the rollout of supporting mechanisms including the parallel application pathway and format templates.
The NMPA has further signaled its intention to explore a dynamic update mechanism for the standards governing preservatives, UV filters, colorants, and hair dyes, supporting the timely inclusion into China's permitted ingredient lists of substances that have been scientifically assessed by internationally authoritative bodies and have a history of safe use abroad.