The purposes of the Plan are:
Monitoring and evaluating the risk factors that affect cosmetics quality and safety, as well as providing a scientific basis for formulating risk control measures and conducting sampling inspections;
Providing direction and reference for the formulation and improvement of national standards, as well as the drafting and project approval of supplementary testing methods.
Details of Safety Risk Monitoring Plan
China plans to collect about 1,100 batches of samples in the safety risk monitoring. The table below shows details of the Plan:
Key Monitoring Categories | Key Monitoring Channels | Key Monitoring Items | Reference for Testing |
Relieving, anti-itching, anti-wrinkle, anti-acne, hair growth, moisturizing, eye care, slimming, hair care, freckle-removing and whitening products, makeup products, rinse-off products, spray, children cosmetics, children toothpastes, “Internet Famous" skincare products, facial masks, nail polish, foot bath products
Notes: "Internet Famous" skincare products are those that went viral on the internet | Offline and online cosmetic operators:
| Heavy metals, hormones, antibiotics, microorganisms, preservatives, etc. |
Notes: NMPA encourages monitoring agencies to use validated laboratory-developed testing methods. |
Schedule
1) Before Oct. 10, 2021: The monitoring agencies complete sampling, testing, and reporting of testing results.
If the local medical products administration department receives safety risk monitoring information, it shall investigate the products that may pose a safety risk and deal with the products according to the investigation result within two months, and fill in the investigation and handling results in the information system.
2) Before Oct. 31, 2021: The monitoring agencies draft the Analytical Report on Cosmetics Safety Risk by category and submit it to National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC).
3) Before Nov. 31, 2021: NIFDC drafts the Annual Report on Cosmetics Safety Risk Monitoring and submits it to NMPA. The report should include an analysis of current cosmetics safety situation and corresponding regulatory recommendations.
ChemLinked Comment
1. Companies need to pay more attention to product quality and safety
In 2021 H1, the products monitored by NMPA were only hair growth and children cosmetics. In 2021 H2, the safety monitoring scope expanded to 18 categories, covering common categories such as skin care, makeup, cleansing, and oral care, as well as products with mainstream efficacies like whitening and moisturizing. It is worth noting that for the first time, NMPA included “Internet Famous” skincare products in the safety monitoring scope.
“Internet Famous” skincare products usually mean high popularity and large sales. Once there is a safety risk, it will cause harm to a great number of consumers. NMPA includes “Internet Famous” skincare products into the monitoring scope, mainly to alert the industry to pay more attention to product quality and safety rather than marketing, and invest more in inspecting ingredient safety.
2. Laboratory-developed testing methods will improve the safety monitoring capability
Due to the variety and complex structure of prohibited and restricted ingredients, only those common prohibited ingredients can be clearly detected in the past testing process. 2 For those risky substances that are difficult to detect with the existing testing methods, NMPA encourages monitoring agencies to use validated laboratory-developed testing methods, so as to improve the capability to detect more product safety risks.
Further Reading
[Ingredient Lists]
[English Translations]
[Articles]