China mulls banning false cosmetics ads

A researcher at a L'Oreal laboratory in Shanghai works on a reconstructed skin model that can be used to test cosmetics. [Provided to China Daily]

BEIJING - China is considering a ban on exaggerated claims in cosmetics ads such as "skin as white as a newborn within a week".

Companies must be responsible for claims they make and can't release false or exaggerated advertisements, according to the draft rules on the supervision and management of cosmetics, which was publicized on Monday by the State Council's Legislative Affairs Office for soliciting public opinions.

In China, The world's second largest consumer of cosmetics, advertisements often make unfounded claims on their cosmetic products. The new rule would require such claims to be backed by science.

"The alleged efficacy of the cosmetics must be based on sufficient scientific evidence including test documents and research data, and this evidence should be published on the websites of the food and drug authorities," the draft said.

Content in cosmetics ads should be genuine and legitimate and false ads in any form are banned, the rules said. Those who release false ads will be suspended from selling their cosmetics.

If they continue to sell such products, they will be fined from 20,000 (about 3,270 U.S. dollars) to 50,000 yuan and all the products will be confiscated, according to the rules.

Producers are also banned from claiming their cosmetics have medical functions, nor can they invite others, usually celebrities, to guarantee or imply the products' efficacy, which can easily mislead the consumers, the draft rules stipulated.

The draft rules also ordered e-commerce suppliers to tighten management over cosmetics sales and shut online shops with violations.

China's cosmetics market has seen a compound annual growth rate of 10.8 percent over the past decade. A report released at the HB Global Cosmetics Summit earlier this year showed China's annual cosmetics sales topped 200 billion yuan in 2014, snatching a global market share of 8.8 percent, second only to the United States.