Taiwan Revises Cosmetic Ingredient Restrictions Effective October 2027

Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare issued “Amendment to the "Cosmetic Ingredient Use Restriction Table" (Announcement No. 1141616549) on November 6, 2025. The revision introduces additional substances, redefined ingredient limits, and explicit impurity controls that will apply from October 1, 2027. Products manufactured or imported before September 30, 2027 may remain on the market until their labeled shelf life ends.

For companies tracking Taiwan’s evolving cosmetic regulations, this update represents a significant shift with implications for formulation strategy, raw material sourcing, quality assurance, and labeling across multiple product categories.

At a Glance: Key Dates and Scope

The 2025 update is broad in scope, affecting foundational areas of Taiwan’s cosmetic safety framework. The most important details include:

Effective date: October 1, 2027
Transition period: Products manufactured or imported before September 30, 2027 may be sold until their labeled shelf life ends
Revision scope: 34 new ingredients, 74 revised entries, 1 deletion
Focus areas: Hair dyes, children’s cosmetics, oral care cosmetics, raw material purity

Continue reading for detailed compliance implications or contact Cisema for regulatory support tailored to Taiwan’s updated requirements.

Regulatory Context: Aligning with Global Ingredient Safety Trends

The update is based on the Cosmetic Hygiene and Safety Act, which sets the legal foundation for cosmetic safety in Taiwan. The Act defines what qualifies as a cosmetic and outlines core requirements for responsible parties, labeling, safety documentation, and ingredient oversight.

Building on the previous amendment from May 30, 2024, the 2025 revision updates Taiwan’s “Table of Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients”, adding 34 ingredients (including hair dye substances such as N,N'-Bis(2-Hydroxy-ethyl)-2-Nitro-p-Phenylenediamine), revising 74 entries, and removing one.

Several updates, particularly those involving hair dyes, reflect international approaches to managing nitrosamine risks and signal Taiwan’s continued alignment with global safety practices.

Key Impacts

The updated ingredient restrictions affect multiple product categories and introduce new obligations that manufacturers and importers will need to address. The sections below outline the most significant changes and their practical implications.

Strengthened Restrictions for Children’s Cosmetics

The updated requirements for children’s products introduce more specific age-related limits and safety warnings. These refinements strengthen protections for young children and require early evaluation of existing formulas.

Camphor and menthol: Products that may be used on children under two years old must display the warning “Consult a physician or pharmacist before use on children under two years of age.” Rinse-off products may be exempt from this warning.
Salicylic acid: With the exception of shampoos, the ingredient may not be used in products intended for children under three years old.

Stricter Ingredient Controls for Hair Dye Products

Hair dye regulation receives some of the most substantive technical updates. Taiwan has standardized nitrosamine limits and strengthened expectations for packaging and terminology.

A unified nitrosamine limit of 50 μg/kg now applies to multiple hair dye substances.
Prohibition on use with nitrosating agents and requirements to use containers that are free from nitrite-containing materials.
Standardized terminology replacing older terms with “nitrosating agent” and consistent expression of limits in “μg.”

Additional Requirements for Toothpaste and Oral Care Products

Oral care cosmetics, such as non-medicated toothpaste, mouthwash, and at-home whitening products, are affected by more detailed conditions of use and warning statements.

Key updates include:

Fluorides: Total fluoride must not exceed 0.15% (as F), regardless of the number of fluoride compounds used.
Strontium chloride: Products must display the warning “Frequent use by children is not recommended.”
Hydrogen peroxide: Home-use toothpaste and whitening products are restricted to 6% hydrogen peroxide and must include mandatory warnings.

New Purity Requirements for Specific Raw Materials

The updated table incorporates explicit impurity limits for certain raw materials, such as:

Triclocarban: Impurities such as 3,3',4,4'-Tetrachloroazobenzene and 3,3',4,4'-Tetrachloroazoxybenzene must be < 1 ppm
Arbutin-type ingredients: Hydroquinone impurities must be below 20 ppm

Manufacturers relying on these raw materials will need to verify compliance through testing and updated supplier documentation.

Recommended Compliance Strategy: Steps Before October 2027

Given the breadth of the changes, companies should approach compliance planning as an integrated project spanning R&D, regulatory, procurement, and quality functions.

The following steps will help structure early preparation.

Conduct Formula and Label Assessments

A thorough and systematic review of existing products is the foundation of any compliance strategy, helping teams identify where reformulation, documentation updates, or new label warnings may be required. To prepare for the update, companies should:

Screen formulas against the updated list of 219 regulated ingredients.
Verify that ingredient concentrations and permitted product categories align with the revised requirements.
Update labels, leaflets, and packaging to include required warnings and statements.

These evaluations provide the groundwork for all subsequent reformulation, quality control, and regulatory activities.

Update Formulas and Safety Documentation Where Needed

Once gaps are identified, targeted updates to formulas and supporting safety documentation may be necessary across several product categories. In particular, companies may need to:

Reformulate children’s products containing camphor, menthol, or salicylic acid to meet age restrictions
Ensure that hair dye products meet nitrosamine limits
test raw materials for purity to confirm compliance with new impurity specifications

Integrating these changes into product safety assessments and technical files will help maintain consistency and support regulatory readiness.

Strengthen Supply Chain and Quality Management Controls

Because many of the new requirements touch on raw material purity, manufacturing conditions, and packaging interactions, operational teams must also adapt their processes. This includes:

Communicating updated purity requirements to suppliers.
Adjusting manufacturing and packaging processes to control nitrosamine formation.
Updating quality testing standards and procedures to ensure ongoing compliance.

Early coordination with suppliers, contract manufacturers, and testing partners will help maintain continuity and reduce compliance risks as the 2027 deadline approaches.

Final Thoughts

Taiwan’s 2025 revision marks a meaningful step toward stronger consumer protection, more predictable regulatory frameworks, and closer alignment with global cosmetic safety standards. Notably, the emphasis on ingredient impurities, age-specific warnings, and chemical interaction controls highlights Taiwan’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding consumer health.

Given the breadth of these changes, expert guidance can help ensure a smooth transition and prevent compliance gaps. Cisema supports companies through formula reviews, label updates, reformulation planning, documentation management, and targeted compliance training.

If you are preparing for Taiwan’s October 2027 implementation or need help interpreting the new requirements, get in touch with Cisema’s regulatory experts for tailored support.

Further Information

Learn more about Cisema’s cosmetic regulatory services in Taiwan

References

Review the full legal framework governing cosmetic safety requirements in Taiwan through the English version of the Cosmetic Hygiene and Safety Act issued by the Ministry of Health and Welfare: Cosmetic Hygiene and Safety Act (English)
Access the original regulatory update published by Taiwan FDA, including all formal amendments detailed in “Amendment to the "Cosmetic Ingredient Use Restriction Table" and effective from October 1, 2027” (Traditional Chinese): Taiwan FDA – Announcement No. 1141616549
Download the “General Explanation and Comparison Table” summarizing the revisions to the List of Restricted Use of Cosmetic Ingredients, including side-by-side comparisons of old and new requirements: General Explanation and Comparison Table of Revisions