We are delighted to share the news of two international cosmetic brands successfully entering the Chinese market with our regulatory support. A highlight among these achievements is guiding a New Zealand brand through a successful animal testing exemption notification for its general cosmetics, a significant accomplishment given the regulatory complexities and historically low exemption success rates for New Zealand products.
China's cosmetics market presents vast opportunities alongside a stringent regulatory environment. Since May 1, 2021, under the Provisions for Management of Cosmetic Registration and Notification Dossiers, imported general cosmetics may be exempt from mandatory animal testing if they fulfill specific strict conditions.
Compared with brands from countries like France, New Zealand cosmetics have historically faced significant hurdles entering the Chinese market under the animal testing exemption pathway, mainly because New Zealand was unable to provide a government-issued Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certificate recognized by Chinese authorities.
In this challenging context, leveraging our deep understanding of China's import cosmetic notification requirements, extensive experience, and industry connections, we successfully supported a New Zealand cruelty-free cosmetics brand in completing the notification process. As a result, the brand was able to enter China via general trade channels with an approved animal testing exemption, a rare achievement for New Zealand products at the time.
Shortly after this success, on June 19, 2025, the New Zealand government announced that it would begin issuing government-issued GMP certificates that meet Chinese regulatory requirements for cruelty-free products. This represents a significant milestone for New Zealand brands aiming to access the Chinese market and reflects the government's proactive response to strong market demand, highlighting the growing interest and potential of New Zealand cosmetics in China.
1. LEMON&BEAKER - A New Zealand skincare brand founded in 2019, combining Korean skincare science with native botanicals. Known for vegan, cruelty-free products in eco-friendly packaging. More about their story here.
“As a cruelty-free brand ensuring our products were not subject to animal testing was absolutely non-negotiable. But at the same time, entering the Chinese market was an important priority for us, a region we've long seen as a key opportunity for clean, effective skincare rooted in NZ natural ingredients. Finding a way to achieve both was a challenging process to say the least, and it wasn't always straightforward. We appreciated that Yvette and the wider ZMUni team was willing to explore this new path with us, showed persistence in working through the complexities with local authorities, and helped us successfully complete our registration without compromising our values.”
Yun-A Kim
Business Transformation
2. Lavilin Deodorants - An Israeli brand established in 1974, specializing in natural, long-lasting deodorants free from aluminum and parabens. Products are ISO and GMP certified. Learn more here.
“I have had the pleasure of working with ZMUni on more than once. The company handled the notification of our products in China on two separate occasions. We were impressed by the company's professionalism. No less important was the company's willingness to assist, readiness to cooperate and patience to answer our ongoing questions in our efforts to understand the details involved in notifying our products in China. Not one question went unanswered with the information necessary for us to proceed. We view the company as our partners in this process and it was a pleasure working with them. We could not have accomplished the task without their assistance and will certainly work with them again in the future if the opportunity presents itself. I highly recommend their services — they are definitely the right choice.”
Leah Weitz
Export and Customer Accounts Manager
These stories underscore ZMUni's core strength: we don't just provide compliance services—we build partnerships that respect your brand's identity, overcome obstacles with precision, and turn global market goals into tangible achievements with our passion, patience, and professionalism.
If your brand is exploring entry into the Chinese market and would like expert guidance on compliance, feel free to reach out to us at info@zmuni.com to learn how we can help.
