China NMPA Signals Upgrade to Cosmetic Legislation and Regulatory Trends for New Ingredients

On August 22, 2025, the China Cosmetics Ingredients Innovation Conference was held in Changping, Beijing. At the event, Xu Jinghe, Deputy Director of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), delivered a keynote speech revealing China’s upcoming legislative upgrade for cosmetics and future regulatory trends for new cosmetic ingredients (NCIs).

Source: China Association of Fragrance Flavour and Cosmetic Industries (CAFFCI)

1. Legislative Upgrade: Toward a Cosmetics Administration Law

NMPA has drafted the Opinions on Deepening Cosmetics Regulatory Reform to Promote High-Quality Development of the Industry, which will soon be released for public consultation. At the same time, preparatory work for the Cosmetics Administration Law is accelerating. ¹

This shift marks China’s transition from a regulatory framework based primarily on the Cosmetics Supervision and Administration Regulations (CSAR) toward a higher-level legal framework, underscoring the growing importance of cosmetics in the national economy. ²

According to the NMPA, the reform is designed to advance China’s transformation from a large cosmetics manufacturing country to a strong one, with changes in top-level regulatory design expected to reshape the industry’s competitive landscape.

2. Simplification of NCIs Registration