Certificates in the cosmetics industry are not decoration — they are the paperwork that lets your product cross borders. But the alphabet soup (FDA, GMPC, ISO 22716, CPNP, SGS…) confuses even experienced importers. Here is what each one actually means, in plain language.
GMPC / ISO 22716: The Factory-Level Baseline
GMPC (Good Manufacturing Practice for Cosmetics) and ISO 22716 are the two audit standards that certify a factory's production environment: air filtration, water system, cleaning procedures, staff hygiene, documentation, traceability and complaint handling. ISO 22716 is the internationally recognized one; GMPC is its US-style variant widely used by US certification bodies.
When a factory says it is "GMPC-certified," a third-party auditor (for example SGS) has physically inspected the site. This is the minimum bar you should set for any color cosmetics supplier.
FDA Registration: Required for the US Market
Since the FDA's Facility Registration for cosmetics became mandatory, any facility that manufactures or processes cosmetics for the US market must register with the FDA. This is facility registration, not product approval — the FDA does not approve cosmetics before sale, but it does track facilities and can inspect them. Before your first shipment to the US, your factory's registration number should appear in the FDA database, and your products need ingredient labelling compliant with US rules.
CPNP: For EU / UK Market Entry
Every cosmetic product sold in the EU must be notified in the CPNP (Cosmetic Products Notification Portal). The notification is product-level, must be done by the responsible person in the EU, and requires safety assessment documentation. A good factory supports this process by providing full formula disclosure, raw material certificates and stability data.
Test Reports: SGS and Other Third Parties
Buyers routinely ask for third-party test reports — heavy metal content (lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium), microbial counts, and specific requirements for the target market (for example GCC standard conformity for Gulf countries, or FDA colour additive compliance for the US). SGS is the most common lab in China for these; reports are issued per batch or per formula, and reputable factories keep them up to date.
Domestic Filings: NMPA Registration in China
If you plan to sell in mainland China, products must be filed or registered with the NMPA, and the factory must hold a valid Cosmetic Production License. This is a separate track from export compliance — a factory can be fully export-ready while lacking domestic filing support, so confirm which track you need.
Checklist Before You Commit to a Factory
- Ask for scan copies of: Business License, Cosmetic Production License, GMPC/ISO 22716 certificate, FDA facility registration number.
- Ask which third-party lab they use and request a sample test report.
- Confirm who files the CPNP/domestic registration — factory, you, or a third party.
- Verify certificates by querying the issuing body where possible — don't rely on the factory's word.
At our factory we publish scans of our actual certificates (business license, production license, audit certificates) — you can review them on our certifications page and request current issue numbers at any time.