China Approves First Domestic Cosmetic Ingredient, Marking a Breakthrough in Cosmetic Ingredient Innovation

According to information published by China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), two new cosmetic ingredients were officially approved for registration on October 30, 2025. This milestone marks a significant advancement in China's cosmetic ingredient R&D, opening new opportunities for innovation across the industry.

Interpretation of the New Cosmetic Ingredients

Dimethoxytolyl Propylresorcinol

Function: Registered as a skin whitening agent.
Use: Approved for use in creams, lotions, gels, facial masks, and other skincare products, except those that may pose an inhalation exposure risk.
Assessment: Approved following comprehensive safety and efficacy evaluations.

2-(4'-Azoaniline Polyoxyethylene Ether)-4-Methylbenzothiazolyl Waterborne Polyurethane

Trade name: Anse® Luoshen Zhu
Function: This is the first polymer colorant officially registered for use in cosmetics in China.
Use: Permitted for use in both leave-on and rinse-off cosmetic products, excluding those that may pose an inhalation exposure risk.

According to the Shangjie Youlan Official WeChat Account, Anse® Luoshen Zhu demonstrates three key advantages – exceptional safety, high performance, and environmental sustainability. By covalently embedding the chromophore groups within the polymer backbone, it achieves a stable structure with a molecular weight far exceeding the skin penetration threshold. This innovation eliminates traditional safety risks of colorants and introduces new non-transdermal coloration technology, marking a technological breakthrough in cosmetic formulation.

Background and significance

On October 20, 2025, the National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC) published the List of Innovative Cosmetic Ingredients for Guideline Development, which identified 16 ingredients for innovation guidance, including Anse® Luoshen Zhu.

This ingredient is the first domestically produced cosmetic ingredient to be successfully approved under China's registration-based system, representing a significant milestone in the country's advancement in cosmetic colorant technology. It marks a critical step forward and signals a systematic upgrade in the innovation and regulation of cosmetic ingredients.

This achievement underscores the growing technological capability of Chinese enterprises in cosmetic ingredient development. As China continues to refine and optimize its regulatory framework, the nation's capacity for independent raw material innovation is expanding rapidly, injecting new momentum into the high-quality growth of the cosmetics industry.

CIRS Group is proud to have officially launched the Global CosIng-A One-Stop Search Tool for Global Cosmetic Compliance Information. You can visit Global CosIng and find out more via the following link: https://globalcosing.chemradar.com/

About CIRS

The CIRS cosmetic team is dedicated to ensuring that cosmetic products meet stringent global regulatory standards. It can provide one-stop services covering the whole life-cycle of a personal care product, which includes cosmetic ingredient development, physical/chemical tests, toxicological tests (in vivo & in vitro), efficacy studies (in vivo & in vitro), ingredient registration, and product registration.

Cosmetic services in China:

• China Cosmetic Registration and Filing;
• China New Cosmetic Ingredient Registration and Filing;
• China Cosmetic Ingredient Quality and Safety Information Code Application (NMPA Code);
• China Cosmetics Efficacy Evaluation;
• In-vitro Safety and Efficacy Evaluation;
• China Cosmetic Safety Assessment Report;
• China Toothpaste Filing;
• China Disinfectant Notification; 
• China Cosmetic Formula/Label/Claim Review; and
• Customs Clearance

If you need any assistance or have any questions, please get in touch with us via service@cirs-group.com.

This article was edited on November 6, 2025, to improve readability.