ZMUni Compliance Centre

Regulation Focus

1. Last week, the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved 2 new cosmetic ingredients for filing. The specific information is as follows:

So far a total of 97 new cosmetic ingredients have passed the filing system in China.

Official source: https://www.nmpa.gov.cn/datasearch/home-index.html#category=hzp 

ZMUni Compliance Centre would like to remind relevant companies that filing entails the applicant submitting the necessary information to the regulatory authority for record keeping. However, it should be noted that filing only signifies that the applicant has fulfilled the formal requirements and submitted the required documentation. The authenticity, scientific validity, and adequacy of the submitted information may not have been verified. Therefore, the public disclosure of filing information for NCI does not imply endorsement of the safety and functionality of the ingredient. It should be understood that there is no notion of "successfully obtaining approved filing."

2. Starting from December 1, 2023, domestic toothpaste should be registered with the provincial-level authority in the location of the registrant before being launched for sale. Imported toothpaste should be registered with the National Medical Products Administration before importation.

3. Registration/Filing Data for Domestic/Imported Cosmetics in China:

From January to September 2023, the total number of filed domestic general cosmetics exceeded 410,000, representing a growth of 40% compared to 2022. The total number of filed imported general cosmetics was over 7,900, indicating a year-on-year increase of 21% compared to 2022. Among the total production volume of the top 15 cosmetic manufacturers, around 39.8% of cosmetics were sourced from France, followed closely by South Korea.

From January to September, approximately 4,100 domestic special cosmetics were successfully registered, with hair dye products ranking first, accounting for 57% of the total. For imported special cosmetics, there were 620 registered products during the same period, with sunscreens ranking first, accounting for 53% of the total.

Market focus

1. On November 15th, the National Bureau of Statistics released the retail sales data for social consumer goods in October 2023. In October, the total retail sales of social consumer goods reached 4.3 trillion yuan, an increase of 7.6% compared to the same period last year. From January to October, the total retail sales of social consumer goods reached 38.5 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 6.9%. The retail sales of cosmetics in October amounted to 31.7 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 1.1%. From January to October, the total retail sales of cosmetics reached 329.1 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 6.2%.

2. Consumer focus on biological ingredients

In 2023, the number of notes related to "biological ingredients" on the Xiaohongshu platform increased by 23% compared to the previous year, and it increased by 82% in the third quarter. Techniques such as synthetic biology and molecular biology are being applied to skincare products, and the efficacy of ingredients combining "biology and skincare" has become a new focus.

Biological skincare products are growing rapidly, with a 570% year-on-year increase in products featuring "recombinant collagen." Additionally, keywords such as cellular biology, biocatalysts, and biotechnological fermentation have become hot topics. The competitive edge in the beauty and skincare industry has shifted to the fields of biological research and ingredient formulation. In the future, "technological prowess" will be one of the key factors determining whether a brand can maintain a competitive advantage.

Please note: the information mentioned in this article is sourced from public data.