导航菜单
On March 30, 2026, China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) issued two draft mandatory national standards for public consultation, covering cosmetic labelling (Instructions for Use of Consumer Products – Part 3: General Labelling for Cosmetics) and toothpaste safety (General Technical Requirements for the Safety of Toothpaste, see our separate update for details). The consultation period runs from March 30 to May 29, 2026.
The General Labelling for Cosmetics seeks to unify regulatory requirements and introduce innovations such as electronic labelling, improving consumer information access, safety protection, and regulatory efficiency in the cosmetics sector. Once finalized, it will replace GB 5296.3—2008.
ZMUni summarizes 7 key revisions for General Labelling for Cosmetics below:
The draft expands its scope to all cosmetics sold in China, including free samples, gifts, and redemption products. Key updates:
Expanded definitions: The number of defined terms increases from 8 to 15, including small-size cosmetics, children's cosmetics, electronic labelling, PAO, and guiding statements.
Electronic labelling: Introducing electronic labelling as a legally recognized format. E-labels must be accessible via standard mobile QR code scanning and may only serve as a supplementary information carrier.
Core principles: All labelling must be truthful, complete, and consistent with registration/notification dossiers. Medical claims, misleading content, or violations of public order are strictly prohibited.
The draft mandates the disclosure of the cosmetic registrant/notifying entity name and address. For imported products, the overseas registrant/notifying entity must be labelled together with the domestic responsible person. Both must be introduced with guiding statements, and the registrant/notifying entity is clearly identified as the primary responsible party for labelling compliance.
For overseas entities, names and addresses may remain in their original language, while domestic entity information must be presented in standardized Chinese characters.
Compared with GB 5296.3—2008, the draft updates both the labelling basis and disclosure requirements.
Naming basis: Ingredient names must follow the Inventory of Existing Cosmetic Ingredients in China (IECIC), and new ingredients must use their registered/notified Chinese names. Fragrances may be labelled as "fragrance," and Latin (scientific) names may be omitted from the ingredient list.
Ordering & trace ingredients: Ingredients ≤1% may still be listed in any order, while ingredients ≤0.1% must be grouped as "other trace ingredients." Aerosol propellants must be separately listed at the end.
Exemptions: Four categories are exempt from labelling, including trace additives in raw materials, process impurities, removed processing aids, and protective gases.
Special cases: Multi-shade products may use "may contain colorants," and multi-formula or separately packaged products must list ingredients individually.
Compared with the 2008 framework, the draft retains existing labelling formats but introduces more standardized and detailed requirements.
Standardization: Dates must follow a unified format (YYYY-MM-DD or YYYY-MM) and be introduced with guiding statements.
PAO requirement: Products with a shelf life over 30 months and outer packaging must indicate the period-after-opening (PAO) using symbols (e.g., 3M, 6M) on the primary container.
Dual labelling: For boxed products, both outer packaging and the primary container must display expiry information.
Multi-pack products: Each unit must carry its own expiry date, while the outer packaging must indicate the earliest expiry date (or all dates).
The draft introduces greater flexibility for imported cosmetics. The Chinese ingredient list may differ from the original overseas label in terms of number, naming, and order to reflect regulatory differences, and the requirement to indicate production licence numbers and product standard codes is removed.
The draft introduces a dedicated section for children's cosmetics (under 12), requiring the mandatory display of the "Little Golden Shield" ("小金盾" in Chinese) symbol. Safety warnings must include "should be used under adult supervision," with additional instructions for certain product types (e.g., rinse-off or aerosol products).
Misleading claims such as "food-grade" or "edible" are prohibited. Sunscreen products must not make absolute claims or encourage excessive sun exposure.
Small-sized cosmetics (≤15g/15mL) refer to cosmetics with a net content not exceeding 15g or 15mL in the sales packaging.
The draft retains simplified labelling rules for such products, requiring at minimum the display of the Chinese product name, net content, expiry date, and registrant/notifying entity name on the visible surface of the sales packaging. For special cosmetics, the registration certificate number is also required, while children's cosmetics must display the "Little Golden Shield" symbol.
It further clarifies that non-mandatory information may be provided via product instructions or electronic labelling, provided that consumers can access it easily. However, the primary container in direct contact with the product must still bear the product name and expiry date, and this requirement cannot be omitted due to limited packaging space.
According to NMPA data, China currently has over 2.2 million cosmetic products, and the revision may affect an estimated 5–10 million products requiring packaging and labelling updates.
The draft therefore proposes a 12-month transitional period. Products manufactured or imported before the implementation date may continue to be sold until the end of their shelf life.
