On April 27, 2025, the China Association of Fragrance, Flavour and Cosmetic Industries (CAFFCI) issued an announcement to further implement the relevant provisions of the Cosmetics Supervision and Administration Regulations and the Measures for Administration of Cosmetics Labeling, to facilitate the healthy development of international trade in cosmetics, and to better safeguard consumers' right to know and right to choose.

On April 29, 2025, the National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC) Releases Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Technical Review of Cosmetics, we have collected the latest FAQ and translated it into English for your reference.

Recently, the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) in the United States has charged over 50 companies for failing to warn about the exposure risks of Bisphenol S (BPS) in paper receipts as required by California Proposition 65. Notices of violation were issued, and there are plans to sue these companies under Proposition 65. According to this law, businesses that fail to comply with the warning requirements may face severe legal consequences, including but not limited to fines and injunctions. If sued and found in violation, companies could face fines in the hundreds of thousands, resulting in significant financial and reputational damage.

On April 14, 2025, the European Commission adopted the draft amendment to the POPs Regulation published on December 4, 2023. This draft aims to revise the restriction requirements for Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS). In the future, the European Commission will publish the revised POPs Regulation in the Official Journal of the European Union, officially enacting the new restrictions for PFOS.

In April 2025, New Mexico passed the Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances Protection Act, aimed at strengthening the regulation of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to protect human health and the environment.

On April 3, 2025, at the CARACAL-54 meeting of the joint advisory body REACH-CLP, the European Commission officially released the final proposal for the reform of the REACH Regulation. The European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) pointed out that the digital transformation is expected to increase costs for SMEs by 40%, and that the 10-year review cycle and complex mixed assessment models may slow down the development of innovative pharmaceuticals.

On April 14, 2025, the Department of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced the completion of the drafting of three mandatory national standards, including the "Requirements for Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Products" (see Attachments 1 and 2). The ministry is now soliciting public comments. The public comment period ends on April 21, 2025. The public can fill out the "Mandatory National Standards Feedback Form" (see Attachment 3) and send feedback via email to KJBZ@miit.gov.cn (contact numbers: 010-64102958, 010-68205261).

This article compiles and summarizes the latest developments in cosmetics regulations in China and globally as of March 2025, covering industry news, newly issued regulations, relevant policy adjustments, and regulatory requirements. It aims to assist enterprises in ensuring compliance and keeping up with global cosmetics regulatory trends.

On 27 March 2025, the Secretary of State enacted the Cosmetic Products (Restriction of Chemical Substances) Regulations 2025, amending Annex III (List of substances which cosmetic products must not contain except subject to the restrictions laid down) of the UK Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009, to restrict the use of methyl salicylate in cosmetic products. The amendment has been laid before parliament on 31 March 2025 and will come into force on 30 September 2025. It applies to England, Wales and Scotland.

To assist enterprises, member state regulatory authorities, and the public in understanding the new rules, the European Commission released the Implementation Guide for the REACH Microplastics Restriction (Annex XVII Entry 78) in April 2025. Developed by ECHA in collaboration with member states, the guide is non-binding but provides detailed instructions for implementing the regulation.