NIFDC Publishes 2025 Cosmetics Review Report: 520,000+ Filings, 169 New Ingredients, & Key Reforms

April 29, 2026, the China National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC) released its 2025 Cosmetics Review Report, offering a comprehensive overview of cosmetics registration and filing activity, new ingredient reviews, safety assessment implementation, standards development, and regulatory reform efforts throughout 2025.

The report provides one of the clearest annual snapshots of China's cosmetics regulatory landscape. Beyond application volumes and ingredient activity, it highlights where regulators are focusing resources to support innovation, strengthen technical standards, improve safety assessment implementation, and modernize review processes.

At a Glance

• 20,155 special cosmetics applications and 520,024 cosmetics and toothpaste filings were processed in 2025
• 169 new cosmetic ingredients were filed, while two new ingredient registrations were approved
• Safety assessment support expanded, with data now covering nearly 90% of IECIC ingredients
• China launched six mandatory national cosmetics standards projects, a first for the cosmetics sector under the drug regulatory system
• Review system reforms accelerated, including dynamic IECIC updates, Guangdong's collaborative review pilot, and enhanced industry support mechanisms

Planning to register cosmetics or introduce new ingredients in China? Contact Cisema for expert support with registrations, filings, and regulatory compliance.

Filing Activity Remained Strong Across Cosmetics and Toothpaste 

China recorded 511,974 general cosmetics filings in 2025, including:

• 499,612 domestic products (97.6%)
• 12,071 imported products (2.4%)
• 291 products from Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan (0.1%)

Toothpaste filings reached 8,050 products, comprising:

• 7,715 domestic products (95.8%)
• 321 imported products (4.0%)
• 14 products from Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan (0.2%)

Imported Cosmetics Continued to Be Led by a Small Number of Markets

Imported general cosmetics filings involved 54 countries and regions. The top five source markets were:

1. South Korea
2. France
3. United States
4. Japan
5. Italy

Together, these countries accounted for 68.0% of imported general cosmetics filings.

Moisturizing Claims Continued to Lead General Cosmetics Filings

The leading efficacy claims for ordinary cosmetics were broadly similar across domestic and imported products:

• Moisturizing: 65.1% (domestic) vs. 63.8% (imported)
• Beauty-enhancing: 29.5% (domestic) vs. 27.3% (imported)

The third most common claim differed between domestic and imported products: Cleansing accounted for 14.9% of domestic products, while fragrance-related claims accounted for 25.6% of imported products.

Note: Products may carry multiple efficacy claims, so percentages exceed 100%.

Export-Only Filings Continued to Increase

Export-only general cosmetics filings have increased every year since the filing system was introduced in 2021:

• 17,045 filings (2021)
• 34,715 filings (2022)
• 46,176 filings (2023)
• 62,309 filings (2024)
• 71,374 filings (2025)

The steady increase suggests that export-oriented production is becoming an increasingly important component of China's cosmetics manufacturing sector.

Special Cosmetics Registrations Stayed Above 20,000 Applications

Special cosmetics registration activity also remained substantial. NIFDC accepted 20,155 registration applications and completed approvals for 20,162 applications.

Accepted applications included:

• 11,609 first-time registrations
• 8,080 registration changes
• 466 registration renewals

Domestic products accounted for 92.6% of accepted applications, while imported products represented 7.2%.

The longer-term trend is equally significant. Between 2021 and 2025, NIFDC accepted 75,010 special cosmetics registration applications and approved 66,648. Annual application volumes more than doubled during this period, rising from 8,870 applications in 2021 to more than 20,000 in both 2024 and 2025.

Hair Dye and Whitening Products Dominated Registration Activity

Despite the scale of China's cosmetics market, registration activity remained concentrated in a relatively small number of product categories.

Among accepted special cosmetics registration applications:

• Hair dye products accounted for 36.0%
• Freckle-removing and whitening products accounted for 31.9%
• Physical-cover whitening products accounted for 11.5%
• All other categories, including anti-hair-loss products, accounted for 20.6%

Together, hair dye and whitening-related products accounted for nearly 80% of special cosmetics registration activity.

Imported Special Cosmetics Were Concentrated Among Five Markets

For imported special cosmetics, first-time registration applications originated from 17 countries and regions. The leading markets were:

1. Japan
2. South Korea
3. France
4. United States 
5. Switzerland  

Together, these five markets accounted for 81.5% of accepted imported first-time registration applications.

Guangdong Remained the Center of China's Cosmetics Industry

Registration and filing activity continued to be heavily concentrated in Guangdong Province.

In 2025:

• Guangdong accounted for 84.0% of domestic first-time special cosmetics registration applications
• Guangdong recorded 408,334 general cosmetics filings and represented 81.7% of all domestic general cosmetics filings nationwide

These figures underscore the concentration of China's cosmetics manufacturing and registration activity within a small number of regions and product categories.

New Ingredient Activity Reached a Record High

One of the clearest trends in the report is the rapid expansion of China's new cosmetic ingredient framework.

During 2025, authorities recorded 169 new cosmetic ingredient filings, the highest annual total since implementation of the current regulatory framework.

Filing volumes have increased sharply over the past five years:

• 6 filings in 2021
• 42 filings in 2022
• 69 filings in 2023
• 90 filings in 2024
• 169 filings in 2025

The 2025 total included:

• 150 domestic ingredients
• 18 imported ingredients
• 1 ingredient from Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan

Authorities also accepted seven new ingredient registration applications and approved two registrations, including one domestic and one imported ingredient.

Imported filings originated from eight countries, with Italy, South Korea, France, and Japan accounting for 77.7% of imported new ingredient filings.

NIFDC Continued to Expand Support for Innovation

The increase in ingredient activity was accompanied by continued efforts to strengthen the supporting regulatory framework.

During 2025, NIFDC:

• Drafted the "Technical General Requirements for New Cosmetic Ingredient Registration and Filing Materials" 
• Optimized classification-based technical requirements
• Published guidance on safe use studies and food-use history evaluations
• Issued the "Technical Guidelines for Updating Filed New Cosmetic Ingredient Information"
• Supported simultaneous submission of new ingredients and associated products
• Established early-intervention and full-process guidance mechanisms for innovative ingredients

These initiatives reflect a broader effort to improve regulatory clarity and support commercialization of innovative ingredients.

First Domestic Registered New Ingredient Approved Under CSAR

The year also marked an important milestone for China's ingredient registration system.

One of the approved registrations represented the first domestically developed registered new cosmetic ingredient approved since implementation of the "Cosmetics Supervision and Administration Regulation" (CSAR).

The approval demonstrates that China's registration pathway for higher-risk ingredients is beginning to generate practical outcomes and regulatory precedents for future applicants.

Regulators Continued to Expand Safety Assessment Resources

Alongside ingredient innovation, regulators continued investing in the tools and resources needed to support implementation of China's cosmetic safety assessment requirements.

A major focus during 2025 was addressing industry concerns regarding access to ingredient safety data.

NIFDC updated and published:

• "Information on Ingredients Used in Marketed Products"
• Ingredient-use information derived from the "International Cosmetic Safety Assessment Data Index"

According to the report, these resources now cover nearly 90% of ingredients listed in the Inventory of Existing Cosmetic Ingredients (IECIC).

By expanding access to ingredient-use data, regulators are helping address one of the most common challenges companies face when preparing safety assessments.

NIFDC also organized three public "Cosmetics Review Cloud Classroom" training programs focused on safety assessment implementation, attracting more than 12,000 participation instances from regulators, testing institutions, research organizations, and manufacturers.

Standards Development and IECIC Modernization Advanced

Beyond application review and ingredient oversight, NIFDC continued strengthening the regulatory infrastructure supporting cosmetics compliance.

Mandatory Standards Reached a New Milestone

During 2025, NIFDC launched six mandatory national cosmetics standards projects covering:

• General cosmetics safety requirements
• Cosmetics labeling requirements
• Toothpaste raw material specifications
• Toothpaste safety requirements
• Cosmetic contact urticaria assessment standards
• Cosmetic cheilitis assessment standards

NIFDC described the initiative as a breakthrough for cosmetics-related mandatory national standards within China's drug regulatory system.

The agency also:

• Reviewed and approved 45 cosmetics standards
• Initiated 34 additional standards projects

Dynamic IECIC Management Became Operational

The report confirms continued implementation of a dynamic adjustment mechanism for the IECIC.

During 2025:

• Information for 107 existing ingredients was updated
• Five ingredients that completed their monitoring periods were added to the inventory

To support the process, NIFDC established an electronic management system designed to facilitate more transparent and timely updates.

The shift from periodic updates to dynamic inventory management represents a significant modernization of ingredient oversight and information management.

Review Reform Continued to Focus on Capacity and Industry Support

NIFDC continued to deepen cosmetics review reform through classification-based review approaches and development of technical guidance for hair dyes, hair perms, sunscreens, and anti-hair-loss cosmetics.

A notable development was the approval of a collaborative review pilot allowing the Guangdong Medical Products Administration to participate in special cosmetics registration review activities. The initiative forms part of broader efforts to expand review capacity and improve review efficiency.

Alongside these reforms, NIFDC strengthened industry engagement through:

• Frequently asked questions and technical guidance
• Face-to-face communication sessions
• Telephone consultation services
• Onsite consultation services
• Email consultation services

Final Thoughts

The headline figures in NIFDC's 2025 Cosmetics Review Report reflect a cosmetics market that continues to grow in both scale and complexity. Equally important, however, is the broader direction of regulatory development. Alongside record new ingredient activity and sustained registration volumes, regulators are investing in the standards, safety assessment resources, review mechanisms, and data systems needed to support a more mature regulatory environment.

For companies planning to file/register cosmetics, file new ingredients, or expand product portfolios in China, contact Cisema for expert regulatory support.

Further Information

• Explore Cisema’s services for cosmetics registration and filing in China.

References

NIFDC 2025 Cosmetics Review Report