I. Introduction.
China is rich in plant resources, and plants have played an important role in cosmetics since ancient times. In recent years, with the development of science and technology and the improvement of laws and regulations, the application and development of cosmetic plant raw materials have also made significant progress. The purpose of this paper is to improve the current situation of the use of existing cosmetic plant raw materials in China, and to put forward some thoughts on the definition, acquisition and application of plant raw materials in combination with the existing regulatory literature.
Second, the current situation of cosmetic plant raw materials in China.
Definition of plant raw materials: In China, although more than 3,000 plant-related raw materials are included in the "Catalogue of Used Cosmetic Raw Materials (2021 Edition)" issued by the State Food and Drug Administration, there is no clear definition of cosmetic plant raw materials in relevant laws and regulations in China. Academics generally believe that the definition of cosmetic plant raw materials should include four aspects: it should be directly related to plantsIt should be a multi-ingredient mixture, and the content of a single ingredient should not exceed 80%;It has not undergone chemical modification or biotransformation, i.e., it has maintained the morphology, chemical composition and chemical structure of the original plant;The purpose of use should be in line with the definition of cosmetics in China.
Access to plant raw materials: The most used plants in cosmetics are seed plants and algae plants, with nearly 97% of the Catalogue of Used Cosmetic Ingredients (2021 Edition) being seed plants and nearly 3% being algae plants. The application of plant raw materials in cosmetics is varied, and it can be a whole plant or different parts of the plant, including roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds.
3. Application and development of cosmetic plant raw materials in China.
Application: In cosmetics, plant raw materials are widely used in various products, such as cleansers, creams, serums, etc. The main functions of these raw materials include moisturizing, whitening, anti-oxidation, anti-aging, etc. For example, rose petals can be used to make rose flower water, which has moisturizing and whitening properties;Ginsenosides can be extracted from ginseng root, which has anti-aging and antioxidant properties;Apricot seed powder can be used to make**, which has exfoliating and moisturizing properties.
Development: In recent years, with the development of science and technology and consumers' pursuit of natural products, the development and application of cosmetic plant raw materials in China are also expanding. In the future, the development of cosmetic plant raw materials in China will pay more attention to the following aspects: first, the use of modern scientific and technological means to carry out in-depth development of plant raw materials to improve the content and effect of their active ingredients;The second is to combine China's traditional advantageous projects and characteristic plant resources to develop, and explore more cosmetic plant raw materials with Chinese characteristicsThe third is to strengthen the quality control and safety assessment of plant raw materials to protect the health and safety of consumers;Fourth, strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the international cosmetics market, introduce more international advanced cosmetics plant raw materials and technologies, and promote the development of China's cosmetics industry.
Fourth, outlook. Industry development trends.
With the improvement of people's living standards and the change of beauty concepts, the cosmetics industry has gradually become a huge industry. According to **, the global cosmetics market will continue to maintain steady growth in the coming years. In China, due to the large population base and the increasing consumption level, the cosmetics market is showing a rapid growth trend. This provides a broad market space for the cosmetic raw material industry.
Changes in market demand.
With the continuous improvement of consumers' requirements for the safety and effectiveness of cosmetics, the demand for natural, environmentally friendly and green raw materials is also gradually increasing. Therefore, enterprises need to continuously develop new natural, environmentally friendly and green cosmetic raw materials to meet market demand.
Changes in consumer behavior.
With the popularization of the Internet and the acceleration of information dissemination, consumers' understanding and awareness of cosmetics are constantly improving. Consumers pay more attention to the ingredients, functions, and effects of products, which also poses new challenges and opportunities for the development and application of cosmetic raw materials.
Technological advancements. In recent years, biotechnology and nanotechnology have been widely used in the cosmetics industry, providing new means and methods for the development and application of cosmetic raw materials. For example, biotechnology can be used to extract active ingredients from plants, purify and optimize them and apply them to cosmetics to improve the effectiveness and safety of products.
To sum up, from the perspective of enterprises, the future development of cosmetic raw materials needs to pay close attention to industry development trends, market demand changes, consumer behavior changes and technological progress. Only by continuously carrying out technological innovation and market development can we be invincible in the fierce market competition.
More information on ICP filings.