Effective 1 March 2026, China has officially implemented 12 new and revised cosmetic testing methods. These additions strengthen technical requirements.

The following methods have been incorporated into the updated Cosmetics Safety and Technical Standards (2015 Edition):

Toothpaste Testing

• Determination of Hard Particles

• Determination of Diethylene Glycol and Ethylene Glycol

• Determination of Soluble/Free Fluoride

• Determination of Total Fluoride

Elemental analysis

• In Chemico Skin Sensitisation: ARE-Nrf2 Luciferase (LuSens) Test

• In Chemico Skin Sensitisation: Kinetic Direct Peptide Reactivity Assay (kDPRA)

• Skin Absorption: In Vitro Method

• Bovine Corneal Opacity and Permeability (BCOP) Assay

Toxicology  

• Immunotoxicity Test

Alternative safety assessment 

• Oral Mucous Irritation Test

Also, the following analytical methods have been updated:

• Determination of Lithium (Li) and 42 Elements in Cosmetics

• Determination of Lithium (Li) and 42 Elements in Toothpaste

The additions of the above methods strengthen the technical requirement to be considered for China and reflects China’s continued evolution toward more advanced analytical standards and expanded use of alternative toxicological testing approaches.

Companies manufacturing or exporting cosmetics to China should promptly review testing protocols, laboratory capabilities, and technical documentation to ensure full alignment with the updated Standards.