Since December 16th 2013 whitening products have been classified as special use cosmetics. From the 30th of June 2015 after a year and a half transition period, the manufacture and import of all whitening products without an accompanying special use cosmetics certificate is officially banned by China.
The CFDA legally divides whitening products into two categories: general spot-removing products and spot-removing products with the function of physical covering only. The inspection rules, dossier requirements and review procedures of general spot-removing products are subject to the requirements for registration of freckle-removing cosmetics while spot-removing products with the function of physical covering are only required to fulfill the same registration requirements as imported non-special use cosmetics.
Classifying Whitening Products
Due to the large profits associated with China’s whitening product market a large number of cosmetic companies attempt to register noncompliant whitening products with the CFDA. Considering this situation, the CFDA has stipulated the specific classification criteria for whitening products. Liu Baojun, an official at the Cosmetics Review Center, CFDA said that the determination of whitening products is on contingent on meeting the following criteria:
1 The label indicates or implies whitening function
2 The formula includes functional ingredients associated with whitening
3 The specified dosage of the functional ingredient confers a whitening effect
If the above criteria are not met the product cannot be registered as whitening cosmetic in China.
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