China issues guidelines for children’s cosmetics

China’s State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) has published guidelines to standardise the application and technical review of children’s cosmetics. The Guide for the Application and Review of Children’s Cosmetics specifies the scope of application, principles of formulation, safety of cosmetics, application requirements for children’s cosmetics and review principles.

The new guidelines apply to cosmetics used by children aged 12 years and under, according to a report by the Xinhua news agency. The guidelines state that labelling on these products should be clear and unambiguous. In addition, producers should either avoid using, or use less, resinoid, colouring agents, antiseptic and surface-active agents. Ingredients designed for whitening, acne treatment or removal, hair removal, drying, deodorising, hair waving and dying, or breast care are ‘not appropriate’ in children’s cosmetics. The type of ingredients chosen for children’s cosmetics should be those with a long history of safe use.

Not encouraged are ingredients produced with genetic or nano technology.

The guide does not specify ingredient amounts.

Prior to the issuing of these guidelines, China had no testing standards for either baby’s or children’s cosmetics, the Xinhua report said, so the technologies and formulas used to produce cosmetics were generally the same as those used for adult products.