Tmall Global Releases a Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients Standard for CBEC Cosmetics

Shortly after the release of CBEC product quality management standards ^[1], Tmall Global announced a new standard on September 10, specifying the prohibited and restricted ingredients used in imported CBEC cosmetics and foods. The standard took effect on September. 17, 2020 ^[2].

Specifics of the standard are as follows:

1. Cosmetic categories subject to the management of prohibited and restricted ingredients

Hair Products	Hair growth products Hair dyes (oxidative) Hair perm/hair removal products (except physical hair removal products) Products claim anti-dandruff Ordinary shampoos and hair conditioners
Skin care cosmetics	Products claim whitening and freckle removing Products claim anti-acne Products claim anti-wrinkle, anti-aging and repairing Products claim slimming and breast beauty Products claim sunscreen Non-powder facial mask products Bath products Baby products Body powder products Ordinary skin care products
Deodorant Cosmetics

2. Details of prohibited and restricted ingredients in cosmetics

◢ Hair cosmetics

Subcategories	Testing Items	Standard
Hair growth products	Estriol and other 6 kinds of sex hormones (estriol, oestrone, diethylstilbestrol, estradiol, testosterone, methyltestosterone, and progesterone)	Safety and Technical Standards for Cosmetics 2015
	Cantharidin
	Chlormethine
	Minoxidil and other 6 kinds of components
Hair dyes (oxidative)	Hair dyes (p-Phenylenediamine and other 7 kinds of components)
Hair perm/hair removal (except physical hair removal products)	pH value
	Thioglycollic acid
Products claim anti-dandruff	Anti-dandruff agent
Ordinary shampoos and hair conditioners	Acrylamide

◢ Skin care cosmetics

Subcategories	Testing Items	Standard
Products that claim whitening and freckle removing	Hydroquinone and phenol	Safety and Technical Standards for Cosmetics 2015
Products that claim whitening and freckle removing	41 kinds of glucocorticoids (triamcinolone, prednisolone, hydrocortisone, prednisone, cortisone, 6-alpha-methylprednisolone, betamethasone, dexamethasone, flumethasone, beclomethasone, triamcinolone acetonide, flurandrenolide, triamcinolone diacetate, prednisolone acetate, fluorometholone, hydrocortisone acetate, deflazacort, fludrocortisone acetate, prednisone 21-acetate, cortisone acetate, 6α-methyl prednisolone 21-acetate, betamethasone 21-acetate, budesonide, hydrocortisone butyrate, dexamethasone 21-acetate, fluorometholone acetate, hydrocortisone valerate, ‎21-(acetyloxy) triamcinolone acetonide, fluocinolone acetonide acetate, diflorasone diacetate, betamethasone 17a-valerate, prednicarbate, halcinonide, alclometasone dipropionate, amcinonide, clobetasol propionate, fluticasone propionate, mometasone furoate, betamethasone-17,21-dipropionate, beclomethasone dipropionate, clobetasone butyrate)
Products that claim anti-acne	Fluconazole and other 8 kinds of components (fluconazole, ketoconazole, naftifine, bifonazole, clotrimazole, econazole, griseofulvin, miconazole and ciclopirox olamine)
	Minocycline hydrochloride and other 6 kinds of components (minocycline hydrochloride, metronidazole, terramycin dihydrate, tetracycline hydrochloride, chlortetracycline hydrochloride, doxycycline hydrochloride and chloromycetin)
	Enoxacin and other 9 kinds of components (enoxacin, fleroxacin, ofloxacin, norfloxacin, pefloxacin, ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, sarafloxacin, difloxacin and moxifloxacin)
	8 kinds of macrolide antibiotics (roxithromycin, clarithromycin, Tylosin, erythromycin, oleandomycin, tilmicosin, azithromycin, spiramycin)
	Lincomycin and clindamycin	---
	Estriol and other 6 kinds of sex hormones	Safety and Technical Standards for Cosmetics 2015
	Tretinoin and Isotretinoin
Products that claim anti-wrinkle, anti-aging and repairing	41 kinds of glucocorticoids
	Estriol and other 6 kinds of sex hormones
	Minoxidil and other 6 kinds of components
Products that claim slimming and breast beauty	41 kinds of glucocorticoids
Products that claim slimming and breast beauty	Estriol and other 6 kinds of sex hormones
Products that claim sunscreen	Sunscreen
Non-powder facial mask products	Hydroquinone and phenol
	Preservative (chloromethyl isothiazolinone and other 11 kinds of components)
	41 kinds of glucocorticoids
Bath products	Preservative (chloromethyl isothiazolinone and other 11 kinds of components, and chlorphenesin)
Baby products	41 kinds of glucocorticoids
	Fluconazole and other 8 kinds of components
	Minocycline hydrochloride and other 6 kinds of components
	Enoxacin and other 9 kinds of components
Body powder products	Asbestos
Body powder products	Boric acid and borate
Ordinary skin care products	Preservative (chloromethyl isothiazolinone and other 11 kinds of components)
Ordinary skin care products	41 kinds of glucocorticoids

◢ Deodorant Cosmetics

Subcategories	Testing Items	Standard
Deodorant Cosmetics	Formaldehyde	Safety and Technical Standards for Cosmetics 2015

According to Tmall Global, the imported cosmetics released on the platform shall comply with the requirements of prohibited and restricted ingredients under the Safety and Technical Standards for Cosmetics 2015 (STSC). That means they shall be safe for use, free of prohibited ingredients or in case of restricted ingredients, in line with the conditions specified in STSC. If Tmall Global finds or detects the illegal addition of those ingredients in the products, it will punish the merchants in line with the "Tmall Global Prohibited Commodity Management Guidelines", depending on the seriousness of circumstances.

In addition, merchants shall ensure that their released products which are subject to the management of prohibited and restricted ingredients have corresponding qualification certificates or authoritative third-party test reports. Tmall Global has the right to adjust the specific requirements of corresponding qualification certificates from time to time per relevant laws, regulations, and platform control needs.

ChemLinked Comment

The new initiative of Tmall Global has put forward stricter requirements for CBEC business on its platform. Imported CBEC products on this platform will still be eligible for registration/filing exemption, but they shall meet Chinese regulations on prohibited and restricted ingredients.

Given that, cosmetics enterprises intending to enter China through Tmall Global may require to conduct ingredient review before import. If the product contains the restricted substances listed above, enterprises shall have relevant qualification certificates such as cosmetic registration license and filing certificate or test report generated by the third-party institutions to prove the safety of cosmetics. Otherwise, there is a risk of punishment by the platform and financial loss.

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