What extra rules apply when exporting children’s or baby cosmetics to China?

Children’s and baby cosmetics exported to China must follow the Provisions on Supervision of Children’s Cosmetics in addition to ordinary filing or special registration. The classification rules limit infant products (0–3 years, including age 3) to cleaning, moisturizing, hair care, sunscreen, soothing and refreshing functions, and they set a separate permitted list for children aged 3–12. Claims aimed at pregnant or breastfeeding users are treated as new efficacy, which is a special cosmetic. A children’s sunscreen must still be registered; it cannot use the about 10–20 day ordinary-filing cycle.

Published 11 November 2026 · Updated 11 November 2026

How to judge the path

Formulas should be designed more simply than many adult products, and the safety assessment should match children’s exposure. See additional requirements for children’s cosmetics.

Adult anti-wrinkle, whitening, perfume-heavy or makeup-heavy stories should not be copied onto a baby range unless the claim is actually permitted for that age group.

Typical documents, tests and labels

Ordinary children’s products still use ordinary filing timelines when they are not special cosmetics. Testing and ordinary cosmetics filing may proceed in parallel. The ordinary filing cycle is about 10–20 days in total, depending on completeness and supplementary requests. That timing applies only to ordinary cosmetics filing, never to special cosmetics registration and not as a guaranteed import timeline. Children’s sunscreen follows sunscreen registration. For sunscreen registration, toxicology testing is about 35 working days, SPF and PA evaluations are about 30 working days each, and review is about 10–12 months after testing is finished. Actual time depends on completeness and supplementary requests. Do not use the about 10–20 day ordinary-filing cycle. Jinshang Testing organizes the compliance work. Testing is coordinated with partner laboratories, and those laboratories issue the reports they perform. After a record is issued, check it on the official NMPA filing query https://hzpba.nmpa.gov.cn/gccx/ and the NMPA data-search page https://datasearch.nmpa.gov.cn/datasearch/home-index.html#category=hzp.

Cautions

Use the required children’s mark and warnings where applicable. Do not market adult sunscreen or whitening cream as “also fine for kids” without classifying it as a children’s product from the start.

Questions we are often asked

Is “mom and baby” sharing allowed?

If the labelled user group includes infants or children, assess the product as a children’s cosmetic. A shared adult jar that quietly adds a children’s claim picks up the extra duties.

Can I sell children’s perfume?

Fragrance is not on the infant permitted-claim list. For children aged 3–12, fragrance is listed, but the formula and safety assessment must still suit that group.