China is a filing/registration market with a living technical annex (STSC) and, from 2026, a mandatory national safety standard sitting above it. Start with who you are (registrant/filer), then map special vs general cosmetics, then ingredients and claims.
China CSAR for SME cosmetic brands
China regulates cosmetics under CSAR: NMPA/provincial filing or registration, Safety and Technical Standards for Cosmetics (STSC), and from 2026 a mandatory national standard (GB 7916—2026) plus lighter filing paperwork under Announcement No. 70.
Who should care
Domestic registrants/filers and overseas brands using a China Responsible Person. Importers, infant/children SKUs, special cosmetics, and new-ingredient users should treat 2026 texts as a process reset — not optional reading.
Official sources
SME: first 5 things
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1
Name the China legal person
Registrant/filer plus a domestic Responsible Person for imported products.
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2
Split special vs general
Special cosmetics still register; general cosmetics file — duties differ.
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3
Read No. 70 as process, not a free pass
Raw-material safety files move to on-site archive, but you still own the evidence.
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4
Track STSC + GB 7916 together
NMPA describes a “one body, two wings” standard system. Implementation dates are not the publication date.
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5
Treat NCI as its own project
New ingredients follow Announcement No. 59 from 15 July 2026; do not bury them in a finished-product file.
Obligation map
| Topic | SME note | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Registration / filing | NMPA platform duties | Official |
| New ingredients | No. 59 dossier rule from 15 Jul 2026 | Official |
| Safety standard | GB 7916 + STSC | Official |
| Testing methods | Methods incorporated into STSC by numbered announcements | Official |
| Claims & safety assessment | Shared dossiers allowed for similar formula systems under No. 70 | — |
Common pitfalls
- Confusing publication date with implementation date
- Deleting raw-material evidence because “NMPA no longer collects the code”
- Treating GB 7916 as a full replacement of STSC on day one
- Skipping infant/children extra controls
- Using animal-test relief without checking whether your product actually qualifies
More context
What this page covers
Mainland China CSAR orientation. Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan are different regimes. Always open the NMPA announcement, not a consulting recap.
Recent regulatory updates
All news- China GB 7916—2026: mandatory cosmetic safety standard — what SME filers should map first August 6, 2026
- China NMPA Announcement No. 72 (2026): another supplementary test method — update the lab list August 3, 2026
- China NMPA Announcement No. 70 (2026): registration and filing relief — and where responsibility moved July 29, 2026
- China NCI rule reset: Announcement No. 59 applies from 15 July 2026 June 26, 2026
- China STSC Announcement No. 51: eight test methods, including chromium speciation May 29, 2026
- China STSC: mercury compounds standard applies 1 July 2026; OPP and CI 60730 follow in 2028 May 15, 2026
- China STSC Announcement No. 6 (2026): 18 standards, including children’s total plate count January 12, 2026
- China STSC methods: CBD and five related analytes, plus general phys-chem rules from 1 July 2026 January 12, 2026
Related Insights
Track updates in Workbench, or upgrade for full Regulatory Details and follow-up tools.
Always confirm requirements against official publications before decisions.