(Yicai) Aug. 6 -- China has introduced its first mandatory national standard for cosmetics, taking effect on Jan. 1, 2028, while the hygienic standard for cosmetics from 1987 will be repealed.

The development and implementation of the new general requirements for cosmetics safety signify a comprehensive elevation of China's cosmetics industry standards from "hygiene to safety standards" and from "technical specifications" to "national standards," the National Medical Products Administration announced today.

The microbial content control standards outlined in the new rules align with international norms and implement classified limit management for total microbial counts, the NMPA noted. For children's cosmetics and products intended for use around the eyes, eyelashes, and lips, a strict limit of no more than 100 colony-forming units per gram or per milliliter will be enforced, while for other cosmetics, the limit is set at no more than 1,000 CFU.

While the International Organization for Standardization imposes stricter limits on total microbial counts for cosmetics intended for children aged 3 and under, the new Chinese national standard expands the age range of protected children to those aged 12 and under, noted Yan Jiangying, chairwoman of the China Association of Fragrance, Flavour and Cosmetic Industries.

The rules clearly specify that children's cosmetics must not only comply with the new standard but also adhere to the Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Cosmetics for Children, noted Guo Jianhua, head of the cosmetics regulatory science innovation research base under the NMPA. The latter imposes stricter requirements on such products regarding formula design, safety assessment, production, and labeling compared to regular cosmetics, Guo pointed out.

China's new measure also sets microbial limit requirements in line with global standards, establishing limits for total microbial count, as well as for molds and yeasts. In addition, it mandates that thermotolerant coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa must not be detected.

In addition, the new standard specifies limits for certain harmful substances, said An Fudong, director of the National Institutes for Food and Drug Control and head of the standard drafting group. For heavy metals including lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium, which are widely present in the natural environment, it adopts a scientific approach of "strict limits with allowance for trace amounts," setting the limit between one and 10 milligrams per kilogram, An added.

For cosmetics that may produce trace harmful substances such as methanol, dioxane, asbestos, and benzene due to the raw materials used, companies will be required to enhance testing during the production process and strictly control residues, An stressed.

China has become the largest beauty consumption market in the world, with the Chinese cosmetics market climbing 2.8 percent to CNY1.1 trillion (USD163 billion) last year from the previous year, according to data provided by Yan. The children's cosmetics market stands at about CNY35.8 billion (USD5.3 billion) and will likely exceed CNY45 billion by 2028.

In addition, there are more than 6,000 cosmetics manufacturers in China, she pointed out.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Martin Kadiev