Recently, CHAILEEDO learned from the National Medical Products Administration’s Cosmetic Ingredient registration Information System that two new cosmetic ingredients have been filed this week. According to official data from the National Medical Products Administration, as of the time of this report, a total of 87 new ingredients have been filed this year, far exceeding the same period last year, with 8 new ingredients filed just this month.
However, at the same time, a total of 13 new ingredients have been revoked or had their registration canceled this year, making 2024 the “Year of New Ingredient registration Revocation.” CHAILEEDO has learned from insiders that there are indeed many companies with irregular operations in the new ingredient registration process. Regulatory authorities are currently addressing this issue, and it is possible that there will be stricter supervision of new ingredient registration in the future.
The upward trend in new ingredient registration continues to rise by 32%
According to the National Cosmetic Ingredient registration Information System, the cosmetics new ingredients “INULA HELIANTHUS-AQUACTICA Extract” and “PEG-2 Phenyl Ether” were filed on December 17 and 20, respectively, catching the last bus of new ingredient registration in 2024. The filers were Shandong Jiuxin Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Shandong Jiuxin) and HANNONG CHEMICALS INC.. Neither has disclosed specific technical requirements.
It is worth noting that Shandong Jiuxin is the owner of the well-known daily chemical care brand “Manting,” which was founded in 2001 and currently focuses on natural plant ingredients, including scalp care, shower gel, soap, and other categories.
From this perspective, the plant ingredient “INULA HELIANTHUS-AQUACTICA Extract” filed by Shandong Jiuxin may also serve its brand. According to public information, INULA HELIANTHUS-AQUACTICA Extract is a perennial herb of the Asteraceae family that can be used for medicinal purposes.
In addition, HANNONG CHEMICALS INC. is a fine chemical company based in South Korea. In the cosmetics field, its business mainly covers surfactants, emulsifiers, and some hair care products.
In fact, the frenzy of new ingredient registration did not start this year. CHAILEEDO’s statistics show that since 2022, the trend of new ingredients has been growing steadily, maintaining a stable growth rate. In the first 9 months of this year, the number of new ingredient registration is already on par with last year. As of December 22, 2024, the number of new ingredient registration has increased by 32% compared to the same period last year, with a total of 87 new ingredients filed.
In terms of ingredient sources, this year’s newly filed ingredients are mostly chemical, biotechnological, and plant-based. Among them, chemical ingredients remain fundamental, but the number of plant/biotechnological ingredients is also surging, accounting for 40% of the total registration.
Furthermore, according to the “Cosmetic Supervision and Administration Regulation”(CSAR), cosmetic new ingredients with functions such as preservation, sun protection, coloring, hair dyeing, and spot whitening require registration, while the rest need registration.
In November of this year, the cosmetic new ingredient Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol (Thiamidol 630) declared by Beiersdorf was approved. This ingredient can be used as a whitening agent in leave-on cosmetics (excluding products that may involve inhalation exposure). The anti-acne treatment marks the first ingredient to be registered by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) since implementing CSAR in 2021.
However, Beiersdorf has informed CHAILEEDO that behind the successful registration of Peptide Amide MD lies a 10-year research and development effort by Beiersdorf. The process of ingredient registration also encountered many obstacles. It can be said that the registration threshold for new ingredients in China is still relatively high, and companies will face more time and research and development cost pressures.
Industry insiders have also candidly told CHAILEEDO that it is still challenging to successfully complete new ingredient registrations at present, and most companies may still choose to file new ingredients. From this perspective, new ingredient registration will continue to be a key focus area for companies in the future.
More and more problems of registration coming out
While an increasing number of companies are beginning to introduce new ingredients, it is noteworthy that starting from 2024, a batch of new cosmetic ingredients has begun to be “cleared out.” Industry insiders have revealed to CHAILEEDO that the national regulatory authorities may have initiated a comprehensive review of new ingredients.
According to the “Administrative Measures on Cosmetics Registration and Notification,” the drug regulatory authorities responsible for registration management should cancel the registration of cosmetics or new cosmetic ingredients in the following situations:
(1) Submission of false information during registration;
(2) Materials that have been filed do not meet the requirements and have not been corrected within the specified period or have not suspended the sale or use of cosmetics or new cosmetic ingredients as required;
(3) Materials that are not new cosmetic ingredients or within the scope of cosmetic registration.
Currently, 7 new ingredients have been canceled, with all cancellations concentrated in September and November.
Among them, the registration for “Galactomannan” by Beijing Guaerrun Technology Co., Ltd., “Hydroxypropyl Trimethyl Ammonium Chloride Alpha-glucan” and “Hydrolyzed Alpha-glucan Polysaccharides” by International Flavors & Fragrances, “Sea cucumber polypeptide” by Xi’an Huipu Biotechnology Co., Ltd., and “Scrophularia ningpocnsis Hemsl” by Hunan S’Young Biotechnology Co., Ltd. were all canceled for “management of cosmetics ingredients already in use.”
In other words, these five “new ingredients” can actually be found in the “Inventory of Existing Cosmetic Ingredients in China 2021,”(Inventory) but due to different names from those in the “Inventory,” they cannot be recognized as “new ingredients” and are thus canceled by the regulatory authorities.
Additionally, there is a group of new ingredients that have been “deregistered.” Industry insiders have indicated to CHAILEEDO that when the status of a material shows “deregistered,” it is most likely that the filer voluntarily deregistered the material, possibly to improve information and re-file the material, or the company decided not to use the material in their products.
Currently, the materials showing “deregistered” status include “Asivatrep,” “Bakuchiol,” “ZINC HYDROLYZED HYALURONA,” “Alpha-Glucan Polysacchari,” “Nicotinamide Mononucleotide,” and “Hibiscus taiwanensis root/stem extract.”
Among these, “ZINC HYDROLYZED HYALURONA” filed by Bloomage Biotech and “Alpha-Glucan Polysacchari” filed by International Flavors & Fragrances are both “cosmetic ingredients already in use.”
After the registration for “Bakuchiol” by Sytheon and “Nicotinamide Mononucleotide” by Winkey were canceled, the related materials were re-filed.
From these two situations, it is evident that self-inspection by companies with already filed new ingredients and departmental oversight is happening simultaneously. A considerable number of new ingredient registration have been found to have issues.
The aforementioned industry insiders have told CHAILEEDO that the registration process for new ingredients inevitably results in varying levels of materials submitted by companies, leading to some companies trying to take advantage of the situation. While many companies are still actively registration, regulatory authorities have begun re-evaluating inadequate materials, leading to more and more “problematic registration” coming to light.
Furthermore, some ingredient company executives have candidly told CHAILEEDO, “Currently, some companies that have already applied or are preparing to apply have actually just made improvements to existing ingredients without achieving real innovation or breakthroughs in new ingredients. It can be said that they are registration just for the sake of registration. Therefore, these types of materials are bound to be canceled.” This can be seen from the fact that many ingredients were canceled due to being “management of cosmetics ingredients already in use.”
Tightening of New Ingredient Registration on the Horizon
Regarding the registration and regulatory situation of new ingredients this year, the first round of “cleansing” of new ingredients has already begun since the introduction of new regulations. Currently, the first round of cleansing is targeting a group of “new ingredients” that actually should be classified as “cosmetic ingredients already in use.”
“With the increasing number of new ingredient registration, regulatory authorities will inevitably take a more cautious approach towards existing new ingredient registration, and in the future, more new ingredients are likely to be canceled,” stated the aforementioned industry insiders to CHAILEEDO. “At the same time, some plant ingredients with unclear data may also face ‘cleansing.'”
It can be said that starting from the second half of this year, the regulation of new ingredient registration has become increasingly stringent. With the continuous increase in registration numbers, the regulatory policies for 2025 are bound to tighten gradually, and the threshold for new ingredient registration may also rise.
For the registrant, only truly innovative technical materials can gain dual recognition from regulatory authorities and the market. The practice of solely seeking loopholes will be unsustainable.
It is worth noting that there have been brand-related individuals who have frankly admitted to CHAILEEDO that although “exclusive new ingredients” can indeed become a competitive advantage for brands, for the majority of small and medium-sized brands, they cannot afford the lengthy cycle cost from research and development to registration and then to market promotion for a new ingredient. Moreover, the materials currently listed in the “Catalog of Used Cosmetic Ingredients” can meet the current demands for product innovation.
From this perspective, the main players in future new ingredient registration will be dominated by leading brands and factories and ingredient suppliers with strong research and development capabilities. In fact, this trend has already begun to emerge in 2024.
For instance, on the brand side, as of 2024, a total of 25 new ingredients have been filed by brand enterprises, accounting for approximately 28% of the total registration. The brands under these enterprises are all leading brands. This will inevitably lead to a more pronounced “survival of the fittest” effect among the leading brands in the future.
Specifically, BTN filed the highest number of registration, with a total of 9 new ingredients filed in 2024, bringing their total registration to 12, all of which are plant/biotechnological materials. Following them is Shanghai Jahwa, which filed 3 new ingredients, two of which are plant-based. Additionally, enterprises affiliated with brands such as Simpcare, Fuerjia, HBN, Guyu, and EVE CHARM have all completed registration for at least one new ingredient.
Meanwhile, as regulatory authorities tighten their supervision over new ingredient registration, companies that engage in deceptive practices will find it increasingly difficult to use “new ingredients” as a gimmick to create false exclusive technologies and technological barriers. This return to the original purpose of new ingredient registration will allow truly innovative materials to better serve the market and consumers.
