The Safety and Technical Standards for Cosmetics is an important technical regulation for cosmetics supervision and the research and development of cosmetics in China, which is formulated based on the Regulations Concerning the Hygiene Supervision over Cosmetics (1989). Since the release of the Standards in 2015, the Standards have been revised for 8 times. Moreover, after the issuance of the Regulations in 2020 and a series of supporting documents, the concept, mechanisms, and systems for cosmetic supervision has been dramatically changed. As a result, it is urgent to revise the corresponding parts prescribed in the Standards.

On 25 March 2022, the European Scientific Committee for Consumer Safety (SCCS) issued draft opinion on the safety of Alpha-Arbutin and Beta-Arbutin, in which it concludes that without data on Hydroquinone release and its ultimate destination, it is not possible to determine the safe concentration of any Arbutin in cosmetics. The draft opinion is open for public comment until May 27, 2022.

On January 1st, 2022, the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) launched the cosmetic ingredients safety information platform. Since then, cosmetic ingredient suppliers should create an account on the platform and submit the safety information of their cosmetic ingredients to generate a code. This code can be shared with downstream cosmetic registrants, filers, or the domestic responsible person to affiliate the safety information of cosmetic ingredients and report to the NMPA. Only existing cosmetic ingredients in China, that is, ingredients listed in the IECIC 2021, can be submitted to the NMPA platform to generate the code.

CIRS Group issued a guide book regarding Management Requirements of Cosmetic Ingredients in China-EN version. If cosmetic ingredients are exported to mainland China, they are regulated by both the Chinese cosmetics and chemical regulations. This guidebook is prepared to help enterprises better cope with the cosmetic as well as the chemical regulations in China and smoothly export their cosmetic ingredients to China.

On March 10, 2022, China National Institutes for Food and Drug Control has issued a notice on the limit value of benzene in cosmetics for public consultations. The limit value of benzene in cosmetics was proposed to be 2mg/kg according to the results of relevant risk assessment. Benzene is a class 1A carcinogen, which may cause potential hazards to human health even if it is slightly brought into cosmetics. Therefore, it should be identified as a dangerous ingredient in cosmetics safety assessment report.

On 1 February 2022, EU has published official Journal (EU) 2022/135 amending Appendix III of (EC) No 1223/2009 by adding article 323 to clarify the restrictions on the use of Methyl-N-Methylanthranilate. The article will come into force on 21 February 2022, and cosmetics that do not meet the requirements of the new article will not be placed on the EU market from 21 August 2022 and will not be made in EU from 21 November 2022.

Since the launch of the Cosmetics Supervision and Administration Regulations (CSRA, State Order No. 727) on June 29, 2020, a series of supporting regulations have been introduced, including new regulations related to the new cosmetic ingredients registration and filing such as the Measures for the Administration of Cosmetic Registration and Filing, Provisions on the Administration of New Cosmetic Ingredients Registration and Filing Data and Technical Guidelines for Cosmetics Safety Assessment, etc.

NMPA issued a notice regarding the launch of cosmetic ingredients safety information registration platform on 30 Dec 2021. Since December 31, 2021 at 9:00 a.m., cosmetic ingredients manufacturers or their authorized enterprises can log on to the platform to report safety information of cosmetic ingredients. Domestic users can log in the module of “cosmetic ingredients safety information registration platform” directly through the NMPA online office hall (https://zwfw.nmpa.gov.cn). Overseas users need to open an account through “cosmetic ingredients safety information registration platform” (http://ciip.nifdc.org.cn) to log in.

On October 26, 2021, the European Commission issued new standards for the eco-labeling of hazardous chemicals in cosmetics and animal care products, banning the use of phthalates, endocrine disruptors (EDCs) and some other categories of chemicals.

In November 2021, the Scientific Committee for Consumer Safety of the European Union (SCCS) issued a preliminary assessment draft SCCS/1637/21 on the cosmetic whitening ingredient Kojic acid, concluding that Kojic acid has potential endocrine-disrupting properties and a maximum concentration of 1% allowed for use in cosmetics in the European Union is no longer considered safe.