Is a hair-straightening product treated as a perm product in China?

A hair-straightening product is treated as a perm product in China when it is used to change the curl of hair by straightening it and to keep that change relatively stable. The classification rules define perm products as products used to change hair curl—curling or straightening—and they note that a product which returns to the original form after washing does not belong to that class. Lasting chemical straighteners or relaxers are therefore registered as special cosmetics, not filed as ordinary hair care.

Published 11 November 2026 · Updated 11 November 2026

How to judge the path

Keratin or “Brazilian” style treatments should be judged by whether they chemically change curl and hold the new shape, not by the marketing story.

Heat-protect sprays or smoothing creams that only give a temporary appearance usually remain ordinary hair care. See perm products.

Typical documents, tests and labels

If the product is a perm special cosmetic, For perm registration, testing is about 35 working days and review is about 8 months after testing is finished. Actual time depends on completeness and supplementary requests. Do not use the about 10–20 day ordinary-filing cycle.

Announcement No. 70 of 2026 describes a toxicology-report waiver for perm products that meet its stated conditions. 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

Restricted waving ingredients must follow the Safety and Technical Standards for Cosmetics. Do not use the ordinary-filing cycle for a lasting straightener.

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.

Questions we are often asked

Is a ceramic-flat-iron spray a perm product?

Usually not, if it only protects hair during heat styling and the hair returns to its original form after washing. The lasting chemical change is what points to perm classification.

Are hair-relaxer kits for salon use exempt?

No. Professional sale or use on the China market does not replace special-cosmetics registration.