The European Union: manages cosmetics from the perspective of raw materials, stipulating prohibited components and restricted components in cosmetics, as well as permitted sunscreens, preservatives, and colorants.

1. Cosmetic raw material management model

United States: FDA promulgated the list of prohibited substances and restricted raw materials for cosmetics. The management of colorant is extremely strict and requires FDA review and approval.

EU : manages cosmetics from the perspective of raw materials, stipulating prohibited components and restricted components of cosmetics (including hair dyes), as well as allowed sunscreens, preservatives, and colorants . Raw materials used in cosmetics must meet relevant requirements. For cosmetic ingredients other than the above raw materials, the cosmetics “responsible person” is responsible for conducting safety assessments.

Japan: The raw materials of cosmetics and quasi-drugs are subject to classification management . For cosmetics, except for the substances included in the prohibited components and restricted component lists mentioned in the "Cosmetic Standards", they are allowed to be used in enterprises. Use it at your own discretion and assume your own safety. In terms of the management of " new raw material ", Japan distinguishes between raw materials with a history of use and raw materials without a history of use, and evaluates the safety of the raw materials based on the corresponding judgment basis. For compounding ingredients in quasi-drugs, ingredients that are not included in the statutory list, if used in quasi-drugs, should be declared together with the product as new raw materials.

South Korea: adopts the negative list system for the management of cosmetic raw materials. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has stipulated the banned raw materials and restricted raw materials list . Other raw materials outside the list can be used freely. Functional cosmetics functional raw materials are managed in accordance with the regulations of the functional cosmetics review agency, including a list of 9 whitening functional raw materials, 4 anti-wrinkle functional raw materials and a list of sunscreen raw materials. When using functional ingredients other than those listed on the list, corresponding information must be submitted when declaring functional cosmetics.

China: mainly implements catalog management for cosmetic raw materials, and has formulated a catalog of prohibited and restricted components, permitted components (including preservatives, sunscreens, colorants, and hair dyes) and a "Catalogue of Names of Used Cosmetic Raw Materials" .

2. Management of whitening products and whitening raw materials

United States: Based on whether they affect human body structure and the wording of functions and efficacy publicity, whitening products are managed according to new drug applications, OTC monograph drugs or general cosmetics. . Some "whitening products" managed according to OTC are also managed based on the type and content of active ingredients, as well as product labels and instructions for use.

European Union: does not have special regulations for whitening products. Instead, manages raw materials through banned or restricted lists. The raw materials used in products must comply with the raw material list and other EU regulatory requirements.

Japan: The "claim" of a whitening product determines whether it is managed as a cosmetic or as a "quasi-drug product" . For example, if a product only claims to "brighten skin", it will only be regulated as a cosmetic; if it claims that it has the function of "removing or lightening stains by inhibiting melanin production", it still needs to be regulated as a "quasi-drug" to manage.

South Korea: lists whitening cosmetics as a type of functional cosmetics , which require official permission before being put on the market. South Korea has an official list of whitening agents, including specific whitening ingredients and content, as well as the "Functional Cosmetics Standards and Test Methods".

China: Currently, there is no raw material list for whitening and freckle removal products in my country, and there are no corresponding requirements for the dosage of whitening agents. "Cosmetic Efficacy Claim Evaluation Standards (Draft for Comments)" points out that whitening products (except physical masking) should conduct efficacy claim evaluation through human efficacy evaluation methods, and publish a summary of the product's efficacy claim basis . In March 2021, " Test Method for Cosmetics Anti-freckle and Whitening Efficacy" was officially released.The Regulations stipulate that anti-freckle and whitening cosmetics are still managed as special cosmetics. When the corresponding regulations are updated, regulatory authorities should clarify the management standards for whitening and freckle removal products and their functional ingredients as soon as possible, and formulate a list of whitening agents and safe use limits.

3. Cosmetic raw material safety information management

European Union: stipulates a list of prohibited and restricted components and a list of allowed sunscreens, preservatives, and colorants for cosmetic raw materials . The European Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS), as one of the European scientific committees, follows the principles of independence, transparency and confidentiality, and is responsible for evaluating the substances listed in the list and the substances that should be included in the list, and will Publication of scientific opinions on the assessment; for cosmetic raw materials not on the list, companies need to conduct safety assessments in accordance with the "Cosmetic Safety Evaluation and Testing Guidelines", and the safety information of these raw materials shall be kept by the company itself.

Japan: The management of safety information of cosmetic raw materials includes the following levels. The government has released the "Specifications of Raw Materials for Quasidrugs", which publishes basic information on raw materials that can be used for quasi-drugs, such as appearance and properties. , specific gravity, purity test and confirmation test methods, etc.; in addition, the raw material specifications formulated by the company as quasi-drug ingredients and approved by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare are managed by the company itself and will not be disclosed to the public; for other cosmetic raw materials , companies can refer to the "Guidelines for the Development of Cosmetic Raw Material Specifications" of the Japan Cosmetic Industry Federation to formulate their own specifications for cosmetic raw materials and manage them accordingly.

South Korea: In terms of raw material information management, a corresponding list of functional raw materials has been formulated for six functional cosmetics, and the raw material quality specifications are publicly released by the government; for the safety information of other raw materials, the government has no special requirements and is left to the enterprise. Product responsibility ensures the safety and compliance of raw materials. The Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has established a raw material database for Korean cosmetics, which contains the commonly used components of cosmetics , including sources, molecular formulas, EINECS numbers, CAS numbers, and usage amounts of restricted raw materials.

4. Labeling requirements for the shelf life of cosmetics

Foreign labeling requirements for the shelf life of cosmetics are slightly different from those in our country, mainly reflected in management requirements for ultra-long shelf life products and product use periods after opening .

United States: does not have mandatory regulations on the shelf life labeling of cosmetics, but for sunscreen products, anti-dandruff products, etc., manufacturers are required to mark the product batch number and expiration date, and prepare stability data to support the expiration date for future reference .

EU: If the shelf life of cosmetics is less than 30 months, the words "best used before a certain month of a certain year" must be marked on the label, and a description of the storage conditions should be attached if necessary. For cosmetics with a shelf life of more than 30 months, the EU does not mandate a minimum shelf life, but requires a safe use period that will not cause any harm to consumers after opening, as well as a production batch number or a reference number that can identify the cosmetics.

Japan: The shelf life labeling of cosmetics follows Japan’s fair competition regulations and other laws and regulations related to labeling . Cosmetics with a shelf life of less than 3 years need to be marked with an expiration date in "month and year"; cosmetics with a shelf life of more than 3 years do not need to be marked with an expiration date.

South Korea: requires cosmetics to be marked with the manufacturing number and use period or use period after opening. If the use period after opening is marked, the manufacturing date should be marked in year, month and day at the same time .

China: my country's national standard GB5296.3 "Instructions for Use of Consumer Products - General Labeling of Cosmetics" clearly stipulates that the shelf life of cosmetics should be marked in one of two ways: by simultaneously marking the production date and shelf life or by simultaneously marking the production batch number and expiration date.And cosmetics sold in my country, even imported products, should follow my country’s shelf life labeling regulations. The "Measures for the Administration of Cosmetic Labels (Draft for Comments)" proposes that for products with a shelf life of not less than 36 months, the shelf life can be marked in the form of production date and use period after opening.

The current competition in the beauty and skin care industry is fierce, and is involuntarily serious.

Foreign requirements and specifications for cosmetics

are more stringent and complete than ours.

Therefore, only products that are strong enough and well managed

can gain a foothold in the beauty industry!