Entering 2026, the global cosmetics and personal care raw material industry has ushered in a new round of regulatory updates and market adjustments. From January to February 27, major regulatory regions such as the European Union and the United States have issued a number of control policies one after another. At the same time, the global raw material market continues to grow in size, and the industry is showing a trend of “compliance leading and steady development”.
I.Update of core regulations
Since the start of 2026, regulatory agencies in major cosmetics markets such as the European Union and the United States have introduced new regulations, focusing on the control of risky raw materials such as CMR substances and PFAS substances, and further improving the supply chain traceability system. The implementation of these regulations will have a profound impact on the global cosmetics raw material industry. We are also actively comparing the requirements of the new regulations and sorting out the relevant raw materials involved in our business to ensure compliance operations.
(1) Upgrade of EU CMR substance control
On January 13, 2026, the Official Journal of the European Union issued (EU) Regulation No. 2026/78, which carried out a major control upgrade of substances with carcinogenicity, mutagenicity or reproductive toxicity (CMR) in cosmetics. The regulation will be implemented from May 1, 2026. This is also the most concerned policy in the field of regulation of cosmetic raw materials in the European Union recently.We have learned that this control upgrade is based on the scientific assessment of the Risk Assessment Committee of the European Union Chemicals Agency, and has integrated and revised a number of original control entries, involving a variety of commonly used cosmetic raw materials, and some of the raw material categories involved in our business are also related.
According to this regulation, the core content of this control upgrade includes five categories of substances. The control status, concentration limits and risk basis of each type of substance are clearly stipulated, as follows：
1.Perboric acid and its salts are completely banned without any exceptions. The risk basis is that they belong to Class 1B CMR substances and will release hydrogen peroxide.
2.Nano-silver/bulk silver is also completely banned. The scope of control covers related substances with particle sizes ≤100nm or ≥1mm. The risk basis is Category 2 CMR substances, which are reproductive toxic.
3.Micron silver powder is restricted as a colorant. Among them, the concentration limit in lip makeup and eye shadow is ≤0.2%, and the concentration limit in toothpaste and mouthwash is ≤0.05%. The control requirements are based on the SCCS 2024 evaluation opinions. Formulated.
4.Hexyl salicylate is restricted for use, and there are clear concentration restrictions for products for different purposes. Among them, perfume products are ≤2%, leaching products are ≤0.5%, resident products are ≤0.3%, and children's products are ≤0.1%. The risk basis is Category 2 CMR substances, which are reproductive toxic.
5.O-phenylphenol and its sodium salts are restricted for use, with a concentration of ≤0.2% in leaching products and ≤0.15% in resident products (in terms of phenol). At the same time, it is prohibited to be used in inhalation and oral use scenarios.
We have noticed that some of the substances involved in this control upgrade are related to the cosmetic raw materials we come into daily contact with, especially some restricted substances, which may affect the procurement and use of related raw materials.At present, we have begun to compare regulatory requirements, focusing on the composition and concentration control of raw materials, etc., to ensure that the subsequent procurement and use of raw materials meet the requirements of the new EU regulations.
(2) Two new substances are added to the EU SVHC list
On February 4, 2026, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) issued an announcement (number: 2026/288), officially updating the list of substances of high concern (SVHC), adding two new substances, namely n-hexane (CAS:110-54-3) and bisphenol AF (BPAF). So far, the total number of SVHC candidate lists has increased to 253.The two new substances this time have clear health risks. Among them, n-hexane has organotoxicity (neurotoxicity) and bisphenol AF has reproductive toxicity. This update also puts forward higher requirements for our raw material procurement and impurity control. Requirements.
According to the requirements of the EU REACH regulation, if the concentration of these two new SVHC substances in the article exceeds 0.1%, the company must submit a SCIP notification to ECHA. The scope of influence of this update covers the two major areas of cosmetic packaging materials and raw material impurity control.
II.Raw material innovation and market data
While regulations continue to tighten, the global cosmetics raw material market will also show steady growth from January to February 2026. A number of data released by third-party authorities show that the market size of different regions has increased to varying degrees, including Germany, India and other markets. The growth rate is more significant.For us, market growth means more development opportunities. At the same time, we also need to optimize our business layout in accordance with regulatory requirements, especially in terms of raw material selection and product compliance. Be fully prepared.
(1) SVHC has added substance control details, and compliance response needs to be normalized
The two new substances added to the EU SVHC list this time, although they are not the mainstream ingredients in cosmetic raw materials, due to their wide range of applications and strict control requirements, the impact on the industry cannot be ignored.Among them, n-hexane, as a common organic solvent, is widely used in formula products, polymer processing, coatings and cleaning agents. In the production and processing of cosmetic raw materials, it may be brought into the final product as an impurity.Bisphenol AF is mainly used in the production of fluorine rubber, high-end resins, and composite materials, and may be present in impurities in cosmetic packaging materials or some raw materials.
We have noticed that the new n-hexane is the first SVHC substance to be recognized for neurotoxicity rather than the traditional toxicity category. This also marks the further expansion of the scope of the EU's chemical hazard assessment and the further improvement of the safety requirements of raw materials.
(2) 2026 global cosmetics raw material market data released
From January to February 2026, a number of third-party authorities have successively released relevant data on the global cosmetics raw material market. Judging from the data, the global cosmetics raw material market will grow steadily in 2026, and the markets in different regions will show a trend of alienation. These data also provide a certain reference basis for our business layout.
According to a report released by Global Growth Insights on January 9, 2026, the German cosmetic raw material market has reached US22.2 billion, ranking first in Europe, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 7%.The market size of India's cosmetic raw materials has reached US11.5 billion, with a compound annual growth rate of more than 10%, making it one of the fastest growing markets in the world.Judging from this data, the growth potential of the European and Indian markets is greater.
According to a report released by Business Research Insights on January 26, 2026, the global cosmetics raw material market will reach US330.86 billion in 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of 3.5% from 2025 to 2034, and the market as a whole is showing steady growth. Trend.The report released by Global Info Research on February 7, 2026 further predicts that the compound annual growth rate of the global cosmetics raw material market will reach 5.7% from 2026 to 2032, and the market size will reach US555.45 billion by 2032, which also means that the development space of the global cosmetics raw material industry is still broad.
III.Thinking on the impact and response of industry changes on us
Based on the information of the international cosmetics personal care raw material industry from January to February 2026, stricter regulations and market expansion are the main development trends of the current industry. These changes have brought us certain challenges and new development opportunities.As a practitioner focusing on cosmetic raw material-related business, we always adhere to compliance management, actively respond to industry changes, and do a good job of responding to various situations in accordance with our own business practices.
In terms of regulatory control, the EU's CMR substance control upgrade, SVHC list of new substances and other policies have put forward higher requirements for our raw material procurement, impurity control, compliance testing and other links.
In terms of market layout, the steady growth of the global cosmetics raw material market, especially the rapid development of regional markets such as Germany and India, has provided us with more development opportunities.We plan to combine market data and focus on raw material categories with rapid demand growth, such as
Emulsifier for cosmetics and
Skin Conditioning Agents related raw materials, to optimize the procurement structure and enhance product competitiveness.
IV.Industry outlook
Judging from the industry information from January to February 2026, the scale of the global cosmetics raw material market will continue to expand, and the market demand in different regions will show differentiated development. Green raw materials and efficacy raw materials will become the core driving force for market growth.For us, in the future, we will continue to adhere to the bottom line of compliance management, pay close attention to industry regulations and market dynamics, continuously optimize our business layout, improve our compliance capabilities and market competitiveness, and actively respond to the challenges brought about by industry changes.
In the follow-up, we will continue to pay attention to the latest developments in the global cosmetics personal care raw material industry, sort out relevant information in a timely manner, and provide reference for our own business development. At the same time, we also hope to strengthen exchanges with industry colleagues to jointly meet industry challenges and promote the healthy and orderly development of the industry.
Hubei Mingya New Material Technology Co., Ltd.
