Can I export a moisturizer or lotion to mainland China?

Yes. A moisturizer or lotion can be exported to mainland China as an ordinary cosmetic when its use is to add or maintain moisture and it does not claim sun protection, whitening or another special function. 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

SPF, PA or other sun-protection wording turns the lotion into a sunscreen special cosmetic. Whitening or spot-removal wording turns it into a whitening special cosmetic.

Body lotions and face creams follow the same ordinary-versus-special logic; only the action site and safety assessment change.

Typical documents, tests and labels

Prepare an ordinary-cosmetics filing dossier, safety assessment, Chinese label and efficacy basis for moisturizing claims where required. Ingredients must be usable under the current inventory and the Safety and Technical Standards for Cosmetics. 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

Keep the Chinese name descriptive and consistent with the Labeling Rules. Children’s moisturizers must stay inside the permitted children’s claim list and meet children’s-cosmetics rules.

Questions we are often asked

Does a gel cream still count as a lotion?

The dosage form should be coded accurately, but a gel, cream or lotion used only to moisturize remains an ordinary cosmetic if no special function is present.

Can I print SPF on the box after filing?

No. Adding sun protection changes the product onto special-cosmetics registration.

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.