China's National Medical Products Administration issued eight optimization measures on July 29 for cosmetic registration and filing, effective immediately. The measures encourage international new products to debut in China first by allowing a declarative statement in lieu of overseas market approval proof. China, the world's largest cosmetic market, saw total transaction value reach RMB 1.104245 trillion in 2025, up 2.83% year-on-year, and RMB 611.41 billion in the first half of 2026, up 4.35%. The cosmetic concept index rose 8.78% in July, with Pian Zai Huang and Aimeike surging 26.1% and 23.62% respectively.
China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has introduced new measures for cosmetics registration and filing, effective immediately. The rules encourage international brands to launch new products first in China, reduce the compliance burden for companies, and accelerate product iteration. For formulation-similar products such as lipsticks in different shades, companies may test a representative product and share safety and efficacy data after scientific evaluation. The measures also simplify documentation requirements and reduce animal testing.
As of July 15, 2026, 124 new cosmetic ingredients have been registered in China under the revised registration rules, which reduced the high-risk efficacy list from 10 to 5 categories. The number represents over 70% of the 169 registrations in 2025. Plant-derived ingredients dominate, with Acer truncatum seed oil containing over 92% unsaturated fatty acids. Since the registration system began in 2021, cumulative registrations have exceeded 500.
In the first half of 2026, China's cosmetics full-channel transaction value reached RMB 611.41 billion, up 4.35% year-on-year. Online channels grew 5.74% to RMB 380.89 billion, with livestream e-commerce accounting for 57% of online sales. Offline channels rose 2.13% to RMB 230.52 billion, marking the first simultaneous growth in years. Department store counters fell 14% to about 38,000, while shopping mall foot traffic rebounded strongly. The high-end segment (above RMB 400) saw 3.31% growth, but mid-range and low-end markets contracted.