For decades, China has been the single biggest obstacle to a cruelty-free beauty industry. The country required both domestically manufactured and imported cosmetics to be tested on animals before they could be sold, which is the main reason so many major brands still aren't cruelty-free today.
The first change happened in 2014, when China made it possible for brands who manufacture their products domestically to bypass pre-market animal testing. Then, in 2021, imported cosmetics also received a possible exception. This meant that foreign brands not made in China were finally able to bypass both pre-market and post-market animal testing for the first time ever as long as they only sell "ordinary use cosmetics".
Now, a new proposal from China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) would push it further by extending these exemptions to some "special use cosmetics".
The Door That Opened in 2021
Since May 1, 2021, "ordinary use" imported cosmetics have been able to skip China's mandatory pre-market animal testing, if the brand meets two conditions.
First, it has to get a certificate from its own country's government showing the product was made in a clean, properly run factory that follows good manufacturing standards. Second, it has to prove the product is safe through other methods that don't involve animals.. This was the breakthrough that first made it possible for some brands sold in China to be considered cruelty-free, including names like Dove, Herbal Essences, and Supergoop!.
But that exemption left entire categories behind. "Special use" cosmetics, a group that includes hair dyes, perming products, and whitening products, were not eligible. For those products, there was still no way to enter the Chinese market without animal testing.
What the New Proposal Would Change
On March 31, 2026, the NMPA released a draft of new rules that would widen that door to cover more types of products. In plain terms, here's what could now skip animal testing to enter China:
- Perm and curl treatments, the products used to chemically wave or straighten hair.
- Semi-permanent hair dyes, meaning the kind that gradually wash out rather than permanent box color.
- Spot-whitening products that only cover dark spots rather than chemically lightening them, similar to how a tinted corrector works.
- Everyday cosmetics that contain a newly approved ingredient still in its trial monitoring period.
The conditions are the same ones that made the 2021 reform work: the company has to hold a recognized quality certificate from its home regulator, and a safety assessment has to prove the product is safe without using animal data.
This is great news because, although not every category of products is covered, it's the first time ever that China is allowing exemptions for "special use cosmetics". These types of products are often more harsh or even medical in nature (for example sunscreen or whitening products), which makes them potentially more unsafe. China opening the door for these products to be exempt from animal testing is a sign that they're working on completely eliminating animal testing for cosmetics.
A Sign of More to Come
A few weeks later, on April 24, 2026, China announced something just as promising. Its 2026 cosmetics standards plan includes developing new ways to test whether a product is safe without using animals, such as a method that uses cells in a lab instead of live animals.
This matters because animal testing can't just be switched off overnight. Before regulators can drop it, they need approved non-animal methods ready to take its place. By building those methods now, China is laying the groundwork that makes a real end to animal testing possible.
What Hasn't Changed Yet
The new rules are still a draft and are not yet in place. China accepted public comments through April 30, 2026, and the final version could look different from what was proposed.
The proposal also doesn't address post-market testing, the practice that allows Chinese authorities to pull a product off the shelf and test it after it's already being sold. And some categories, like sunscreen and permanent hair dyes, still aren't covered.
The Bigger Picture
China's animal testing laws are still the biggest barrier to ending animal testing in the global beauty industry. But that barrier keeps shrinking. First ordinary cosmetics in 2021, now a proposal to bring more categories in, plus real investment in the non-animal methods that make a true ban possible. Each step makes it easier for brands to enter the world's largest beauty market without funding animal cruelty.
One important thing to keep in mind: just because it's possible for brands to bypass animal testing in China, does not mean that companies who sell in China are now automatically cruelty-free. Most companies selling in China still choose to actively test on animals.
At Cruelty-Free Kitty, we've been tracking China's animal testing laws for over a decade, and we'll keep watching these rules as they move from draft to final.
In the meantime, the best thing you can do is keep choosing brands that don't test on animals anywhere in the world. If you haven't already, you can download our free list of cruelty-free brands to make sure your routine stays cruelty-free no matter where a product is sold.
Which Brands Are Cruelty-Free?
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