A Game-Changer for Cruelty-Free Brands and Innovation
On November 17, 2025, China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) unveiled a comprehensive reform of cosmetics regulations aimed at fostering high-quality development, innovation, and safety in the cosmetics industry. These new regulations mark a significant shift, especially for cruelty-free brands and ingredient suppliers eager to enter or expand within the Chinese market.
Summary of the New Regulations
The NMPA’s reform agenda focuses on modernizing and streamlining cosmetics supervision with clear goals set for 2030 and 2035:
- Enhanced Regulatory Framework: By 2030, China aims to have a refined legal and standardization system for cosmetics, stronger technical support, and improved risk prevention capabilities. By 2035, the supervision system is expected to reach international advanced levels, supporting industrial innovation and global competitiveness.
- Innovation Support: The reforms encourage the registration of new efficacy cosmetics with expedited review processes, including a pre-application consultation mechanism and periodic updates to classification rules.
- First Launch Economy: China will foster the “first launch” of new cosmetics domestically, allowing international products to enter the market without needing proof of sales in their country of origin.
- Silver Economy Focus: Special support is directed toward cosmetics designed for the elderly, promoting R&D in skin aging mechanisms and tailored product development.
- Personalized Services and Digital Innovation: The regulations promote on-site simplified blending and repackaging services for general cosmetics and accelerate the adoption of electronic labeling and digital management.
- Streamlined Registration and Filing: Products with formula variations can share safety data during registration, and re-registration requirements are eased. Technical reviews are optimized with reduced timelines and a joint national-provincial review mechanism.
- Safety and Efficacy Evaluation: The safety evaluation system will incorporate advanced technologies and lifecycle management responsibilities for enterprises. Efficacy claim management is also modernized, allowing more flexibility in evaluation methods.
- Tiered Supervision and Quality Management: Enterprises will be supervised based on risk levels, with enhanced quality management systems and professional certification for experts in R&D and safety assessment.
- Online Business and Adverse Reaction Monitoring: Strengthened supervision of e-commerce platforms and improved adverse reaction monitoring systems will enhance safety oversight.
- International Standards Alignment: China will deepen participation in international regulatory cooperation, accelerate adoption of global standards, and promote reduction of animal testing.
- Animal Testing Reduction: Accelerate the reduction of animal testing. Guided by the “reduce, replace, optimize” principle and decrease reliance on animal testing in cosmetics. Starting with hair perming, non-oxidizing hair dyes, and cosmetic products using new raw materials under monitoring periods.
- Optimize The Management Mechanism Of Approved Raw Materials: Establish a dynamic standard update mechanism for new ingredient registration. Provincial authorities are encouraged to offer subsidies (ranging from RMB 500,000 to RMB 3 million) to incentivize new ingredient registrations and foster innovation.
Impact on the Cosmetics Industry and Cruelty-Free Brands
Removing Barriers for Cruelty-Free Innovation
One of the most transformative aspects of the new regulations is the facilitation of cruelty-free product entry into the Chinese market. Previously, products containing new ingredients required a mandatory animal testing within the 3-year monitoring period before market launch, creating a significant barrier for cruelty-free brands. Now, with the approval and encouragement of alternative in-vitro testing methods conducted domestically, brands can bypass this lengthy waiting period.
This change aligns with China’s broader initiative to promote innovation and reduce reliance on animal testing, signaling a more open and progressive regulatory environment for cruelty-free cosmetics.
Case Study: Bakuchiol
Bakuchiol, a popular plant-based alternative to retinol, has been widely adopted by cosmetics brands worldwide for its skin benefits without the irritation associated with retinol. However, any cosmetics products containing the new ingredient, bakuchiol, was required to either undergoing animal testing or wait three years for registration.
Under the new regulations, brands incorporating bakuchiol can now register the products without mandatory animal testing, provided they conduct comprehensive in-vitro safety evaluations within China. This breakthrough enables faster market access and supports the growth of cruelty-free formulations in China.
Broader Implications for Stakeholders
- Brands: Can accelerate product launches with new ingredients, reduce compliance costs related to non-animal testing, and leverage personalized service innovations to meet consumer demands.
- Ingredient Suppliers: Gain opportunities to register new raw materials more efficiently, benefit from subsidies, and contribute to the growing cruelty-free market.
- Regulatory Professionals: Will navigate a more streamlined, science-driven registration process with enhanced technical support and clearer guidelines on safety and efficacy evaluations.
Conclusion
China’s new cosmetics regulations represent a landmark shift toward innovation, safety, and cruelty-free practices. By removing the mandatory animal testing barrier for new ingredients and offering substantial subsidies, China is positioning itself as a global leader in modern cosmetics regulation. This reform not only benefits cruelty-free brands and ingredient innovators but also promises higher quality, safer products for consumers.
For stakeholders in the cosmetics industry, understanding and adapting to these changes will be crucial to capitalizing on the emerging opportunities within China’s vast and evolving market. Finally, it is important to notice that the implementation guidelines of these new regulations are not yet published.
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