As global regulatory landscapes evolve, staying ahead of compliance deadlines is critical for beauty and personal care brands. To help companies systematically track regulatory shifts and assess compliance risks in advance, CIRS Group has compiled a comprehensive timeline of upcoming global cosmetic regulations taking effect from August 2026 onward.
Organized by implementation date, this breakdown enables brands, formulation chemists, and compliance teams to prioritize imminent milestones and ensure seamless cross-border market access.
August 2026
China | Expansion of Customized Cosmetics Pilot
- Effective Date: August 1, 2026
- Key Update: China is expanding its Phase 2 pilot program for customized cosmetics. Eight additional provinces/autonomous regions—Liaoning, Jiangsu, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Sichuan, and Xinjiang—will join the program through September 30, 2027.
United States | FDA Expands OTC Sunscreen Monograph
- Effective Date: August 9, 2026
- Key Update: FDA Final Administrative Order (OTC000039) officially takes effect, adding Bemotrizinol (bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine) to the OTC Sunscreen Monograph M020. This marks the FDA’s first active ingredient expansion to the sunscreen monograph in nearly two decades.
European Union | Implementation of PPWR
- Effective Date: August 12, 2026
- Key Update: The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR, Regulation (EU) 2025/40) becomes fully mandatory. Packaging with excessive heavy metals, non-compliant PFAS, incomplete EPR registrations, or non-compliant labels may face product removal, customs detention, heavy fines, or even exclusion from the EU market.
September 2026
United States (Minnesota) | Mandatory PFAS Reporting Deadline
- Date: September 15, 2026
- Key Update: Following an extension from the original July 1 deadline, initial submissions for Minnesota’s mandatory PFAS product disclosure reports are due.
October 2026
United States (California) | TPhP-containing nail products designated as Priority Products
- Effective Date: October 1, 2026
- Key Update: California designates nail care products containing triphenyl phosphate (TPhP) at concentrations exceeding 250 ppm as Priority Products under its Safer Consumer Products program.
Japan | Implementation of Quasi-Drug Ingredient Specifications
- Effective Date: October 1, 2026
- Key Update: All quasi-drug products distributed in Japan must comply with the revised Quasi-Drug Ingredient Specifications 2021.
Indonesia | Mandatory Halal Certification for Cosmetics
- Effective Date: October 17, 2026
- Key Update: Under Indonesia's Halal Product Assurance Law regulations, all cosmetics sold or distributed in the country must obtain official Halal certification.
December 2026
China | Implementation of Import/Export Cosmetics Inspection Rules
- Effective Date: December 1, 2026
- Key Update: General Administration of Customs (GACC) Order No. 284—Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Inspection and Quarantine of Import and Export Cosmetics—officially takes effect across 6 chapters and 37 articles.
New Zealand | Phase-Out of PFAS in Cosmetics Begins
- Effective Date: December 31, 2026
- Key Update: New Zealand enacts a complete prohibition on the import and manufacturing of PFAS-containing cosmetics. From December 31, 2027, their sale or supply is prohibited; and by June 30, 2028, all PFAS-containing cosmetics must be disposed of.
2027
China | Implementation of Multiple Test Methods and Limit Standards
- Effective Date: January 1, 2027
- Key Update: 4 methods (e.g., Test Method for 6 Ingredients Including Cannabidiol in Cosmetics) and 6 standards (e.g., Total Aerobic Microbial Count Limits for Eye, Lip, and Children's Cosmetics; 1,4-Dioxane Limit; 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor) take effect.
China | Incorporation of 8 Testing Methods into Safety and Technical Standards
- Effective Date: March 1, 2027
- Key Update: Eight testing methods (4 newly introduced AND 4 revised) are formally integrated into China's Safety and Technical Standards for Cosmetics, including dedicated testing for trivalent and hexavalent chromium.
China | Implementation of Technical Standards & Mandatory Detergent Rules
- Effective Date: May 1, 2027
- Key Update: Five cosmetic industry standards—including general requirements for biotechnology-derived ingredients—take effect, alongside mandatory national standard GB 26396-2026 (Safety and Technical Standards for Detergents, replacing GB/T 26396-2011).
2028 & Beyond
China | Enactment of 12 Ingredient Restrictions & Standards
- Effective Date: January 1, 2028
- Key Update: Enforces restricted and permitted ingredient standards for 12 key substances, including Zinc Pyrithione, Salicylic Acid, Benzophenone-3, Homosalate, Cyclotetrasiloxane, and 2-Butyl-4-methylpropanal.
United States (New Jersey) | PFAS Prohibition
- Effective Date: January 12, 2028
- Key Update: Prohibits the sale, offer for sale, or distribution of any cosmetic product containing intentionally added PFAS within New Jersey.
United States (Illinois) | Ban on 24 Cosmetic Ingredients
- Effective Date: July 1, 2028
- Key Update: Illinois prohibits the manufacture, sale, delivery, or distribution of cosmetics containing 24 intentionally added substances, including PFAS.
South Korea | Mandatory Cosmetic Safety Assessment System
- Implementation Timeline: Phased in starting 2028
- Key Update: South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) will begin phasing in a mandatory Safety Assessment System. Supporting industry guidelines and corporate assistance frameworks have been established to help brands prepare.
Note: This article compiles major cosmetic regulatory developments in key global countries/regions to help companies keep abreast of global regulatory trends. Content is categorized by each regulation's effective/implementation date; items effective from August 2026 onward are classified as “upcoming,” while items still at the consultation/draft stage are excluded. For specific implementation requirements, refer to the latest official texts published by each regulatory authority.
CIRS Reminder
Looking ahead, multiple cosmetic regulations will take effect densely across countries — covering PFAS controls, packaging compliance, ingredient standards, testing-method updates, and market-access certification — with a dense concentration of policy milestones and broad impact on cross-border companies. Cosmetic companies are advised to continuously monitor global cosmetic regulations, standards, and industry developments, keep pace with global regulatory trends, strengthen end-to-end compliance management, proactively assess compliance risks from domestic and international policy changes, and reasonably plan product R&D, formulation strategy, and market entry to navigate the new regulatory landscape.
Our Global Compliance Services
[Regulatory Compliance Services]
- China: Compliance Consulting for Cosmetics and Ingredients
- Global: Compliance Consulting for Cosmetics (EU, UK, US, Japan, South Korea, Australia & New Zealand, ASEAN, Middle East, Mexico, Brazil, Africa)
- China and International Compliance Consulting for Disinfectants and Household Products
[Data Services]
- China: Cosmetics and Ingredients Data Services (China CosIng)
- International: Cosmetics and Ingredients Data Services covering China (including Taiwan), EU, North America, ASEAN, Japan, and South Korea (Global CosIng)
[Product Testing Services]
- Cosmetic Safety and Human Efficacy Testing
- Toxicological Safety Assessment for Cosmetic Ingredients
- In Vitro Efficacy Testing for Cosmetics and Ingredients
If you need any assistance or have any questions, please get in touch with us via service@cirs-group.com.
