Horizon Scanning: 3 Avenues for Efficient Supervision of Special-use Cosmetics

Background: Exponential growth in consumption of special use cosmetics in China over the past two decades has brought with it a number of new challenges for industry and regulators. High profits and loose regulatory supervision embolden marketers to misguide consumers by overstating functions and entice manufacturers to use prohibited ingredients to enhance efficacy but pose considerable health risks. This Article speculates on some of the future avenues available to government to more efficiently regulate this burgeoning market while ensuring the healthy growth of the industry while safeguarding the health and safety of consumers.