China’s New Cosmetics Label Rules to Take Effect since 1 July 2013

Regulations for cosmetics label instructions together with its guidance were sent by the China SFDA to the WTO’s Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade for notification, which are open for a 60-day public comment period since 21 December 2012.

It can be expected that they would be adopted by China on 1 April 2013 and take effect as of 1 July this year, with a view to further standardizing cosmetics labels and instructions and ensuring the consumers’ rights to know.

According to the Regulations, the following items are required to be printed on labels:

1. product’s name;
2. manufacturer’s name and address;
3. manufacturer’s hygiene license number (only for domestic product);
4. country or region of origin (only for imported product);
5. approval number or record-filing number of the product (if there is one);
6. ingredients;
7. net content;
8. production date and shelf life or the batch number and expiration date;
9. warnings, instructions for use and storage condition (if necessary).

For some cosmetic products with the net content of not more than 15g or 15ml or some used for gifts or not-for-sale, items marked in green in the above paragraph are minimum info that are mandatory to be listed on the labels and the remaining items can be displayed in the instructions. This is a little different from the GB 5296.3-2008, in which the approval number or recording filing number does not have to be presented on the labels of those products. Therefore, slight discrepancies may exist between the new label rules and the old national standard.

Moreover, it should be highlighted that the government prohibits to

• label indications, curative effects, medical terms and exaggerated or false info;
• use others’ names to give guarantee or hint to make consumers misunderstand the effectiveness.

The guidance for cosmetic label instructions specifies requirements for each item on labels or instructions. For instance, warnings regarding the use of the restricted substances should be labeled according to the Hygienic Standard for Cosmetics 2007. 

Reference Links

• WTO notification (in English)
• Regulations for Cosmetics Label Instructions (in Chinese)
• Guidance for Cosmetics Label Instructions (in Chinese)

 GB 5296.3-2008:Instruction for Use of Consumer Products-General Labelling for Cosmetics

 Hygienic Standard for Cosmetics 2007