Noteworthy Time Points for Cosmetic Registration and Notification in China in 2023 and Beyond

Product executive standard numbers (pre-reserved notification number)

According to the current setting of the general cosmetics notification information system, notifiers shall first apply for and obtain pre-reserved notification numbers (the number) before notifying new products. The number will become the official notification number after the notification is completed. For the numbers obtained each year, enterprises shall use them to complete the corresponding notifications before December 31 of the year. Otherwise, the unused number will be cleared and invalidated.

Therefore, enterprises which have obtained the numbers this year but have not notified their products must submit the notification dossiers to complete the notifications by December 31, 2022. If the dossiers submission is overdue, enterprises shall re-apply new numbers next year and amend the product executive standard numbers on the product packaging.

• For cosmetics that had been registered or notified on the previous cosmetics registration and notification platform, if the registrants or notifiers failed to complete the documents supplementation before May 1, 2022 due to the impact of COVID-19, the dossiers supplementation deadline is postponed to December 31, 2022. Products failing to supplement documents as required before the date shall only continue to be produced and imported once the supplementation is completed.

• For products that are no longer produced or imported, the notifiers can voluntarily apply for the cancellation of the original notification. The related products that have been put on the market before the cancellation can be sold until the end of their shelf life. Otherwise, if these products are forcibly cancelled by the regulatory authority due to overdue dossiers supplementation, they shall be pulled off shelves immediately from the date of cancellation.

From December 31, 2022, the sales of daily chemical products containing plastic microbeads will be prohibited. Daily chemical products containing plastic microbeads are defined as rinse-off cosmetics (such as shower gel, facial cleanser, scrub cream, scrub, shampoo, etc.), toothpaste and tooth powder products.

Annual Reporting of General Cosmetics

From January 1 to March 31, 2023, cosmetic notifiers shall submit the annual report of general cosmetics notified over one year through the new platform. Products that fail to complete the annual report in time will be forcibly cancelled.

Submission of Cosmetic Ingredient Safety Related Information

Starting from January 1, 2023, when applying for registration or notification, the registrants or notifiers shall provide safety information (ingredient submission code or Annex 14 of the Provisions for Management of Cosmetic Registration and Notification Dossiers) of all ingredients.

Submission of Cosmetic Ingredient Safety Related Information

For cosmetics that have been registered or notified before January 1, 2023, the registrant and notifier shall supplement safety information (ingredient submission code or Annex 14) of all the ingredients in the product formula before May 1, 2023.

On December 8, 2022, the general cosmetic notification information system added a new function of "Ingredient Safety Information Self-Update". Enterprises can refer to the content of the system announcement to supplement and update ingredient information.

Cosmetic Labels

• For cosmetics registered or notified before May 1, 2022, the registrants or notifiers shall update the product labels per the Administrative Measures on Cosmetics Labeling by May 1, 2023.

• For children cosmetics registered or notified before May 1, 2022, the registrant or notifier shall update the product label per the Supervision and Administration Provisions on Children Cosmetics before May 1, 2023.

Cosmetic Efficacy Claim Evaluation

• For cosmetics registered or notified before May 1, 2021, the cosmetics registrants or notifiers shall evaluate the cosmetic efficacy claims per  the Standards for Cosmetic Efficacy Claim Evaluation and upload the evaluation summaries before May 1, 2023. 

• For freckle-removing (whitening) and anti-hair loss cosmetics that have been registered before May 1, 2021, the registrants shall supplement a human body efficacy evaluation testing report before May 1, 2023.

Cosmetic Safety Assessment

The Technical Guidelines for Cosmetic Safety Assessment (the Technical Guidelines) provides examples of the full and simplified versions of the product safety assessment report. From January 1, 2022 to May 1, 2024, cosmetics registrants and notifiers can submit a simplified product safety assessment report in accordance with the relevant requirements of the Technical Guidelines. From May 1, 2024, the registrants and notifiers shall provide a full version of the product safety assessment report.