This comes after the Shanghai Municipal Medical Products Administration (MPA) has recently granted licences for in-store personalised cosmetics services to companies including L’Oréal and Estée Lauder.
The authority announced the Provisions for Management of On-site Personalised Cosmetic Services in Pudong New Area of Shanghai (Trial Provisions) on July 20 to further standardise regulations for this emerging sector.
The Trial Provisions will come into effect from August 20 this year till August 19, 2025.
These rules will apply to companies with physical stores in Pudong New Area that offer on-site production and packaging of products that are customised to individual consumer needs, excluding children’s cosmetics, eye makeup, and products using new ingredients.
During the application for the personalised services license, the company or person responsible for placing cosmetic products in the Chinese market is required to provide documents to prove their qualification in fulfilling several conditions.
These include capabilities in conducting the full process of risk assessment and control of personalised services and products, as well as in monitoring and evaluating adverse reactions to products.
Stringent control
As a guide for cosmetics companies, mandatory obligations to be met are stipulated in detail in the Trial Provisions.
Some of these obligations include establishing a management system that is adequate for the scale of personalised services and types of cosmetics a firm intends to offer.
To ensure the quality and safety of products, the firms must lay out quality assurance and testing standards for raw materials and finished products, as well as deploy personnel who are competent in this area.
In addition, companies need to execute annual training programmes, and implement systems for managing sanitation, employees’ health, and non-operations staff who enter the premise.
For instance, environmental monitoring plans must be in place — cleaning and disinfection of the premise and equipment need to be carried out in accordance with standard operating procedures.
Appropriate storage areas and an adaptive equipment management system should also be set up.
Furthermore, cosmetic firms are required to develop and implement systems for product labelling, purchase inspection, and maintaining records of activities related to personalised services, such as sample retention and testing.
