Can makeup removers be exported to China as ordinary cosmetics?

Yes. Makeup removers—oils, balms, waters and wipes—can usually be exported to China as ordinary cosmetics. Makeup removing is a listed ordinary efficacy: used to remove colour cosmetics or other cosmetics from the application site. For general-trade import of a finished product, complete the required filing or registration before import, appoint a Domestic Responsible Person, and apply a Chinese label that meets the Cosmetics Labeling Rules. Customs and inspection-quarantine formalities are a separate process. Cross-border e-commerce retail import is a different channel with list, platform and personal-use limits; it is not a blanket “no filing” rule and not a path to unrestricted domestic resale. 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.

Published 11 November 2026 · Updated 11 November 2026

How to judge the path

Eye-area removers should be assessed for that site. Wipes include a substrate as part of the product presentation.

A remover that also claims to sterilize skin or treat infection is mixing in disinfectant or drug language. See antibacterial claims.

Typical documents, tests and labels

Prepare an ordinary filing dossier and identify whether the product is rinse-off or leave-on. 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

Micellar waters marketed as both toner and remover can carry more than one ordinary efficacy, but the safety assessment should cover the way consumers will actually use them.

Questions we are often asked

Are cleansing wipes a cosmetic or a device?

Ordinary makeup-removing wipes for intact skin are usually cosmetics. Wipes presented as medical disinfecting wipes are not cosmetic products.

Does waterproof-makeup remover need special registration?

No. Removing long-wear or waterproof makeup is still a makeup-removing function. It does not become sunscreen registration merely because the makeup being removed was waterproof.

Next step

Discuss your China market path

Tell us whether you plan to import finished goods or manufacture in mainland China, and what the product claims. We will outline the likely filing or registration path. Testing, where needed, is arranged with partner laboratories.