1、 The main testing items and core risks of makeup brushes

2、 Chinese testing standards and requirements

At present, there is no mandatory national standard for makeup brushes in China (outside the CCC catalog), but there are a series of recommended standards and industry standards that are usually used as the basis for quality judgment.

1. List of main standards

Note: QB/T 4998-2016 explicitly requires:

• Limit of heavy metals (lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium) in bristles: lead ≤ 10 mg/kg, arsenic ≤ 3 mg/kg, mercury ≤ 1 mg/kg, cadmium ≤ 15 mg/kg.

• Hair removal amount: After soaking the brush head in water, the number of hair removal roots should be ≤ 5 (depending on the size of the brush head).

• Brushing tension: ≥ 10 N or as indicated by the company.

2. Testing project combination (typical type inspection)

When sent for inspection according to QB/T 4998 GB 15979, it usually includes:

• Appearance and dimensional deviations

• Hair removal amount of bristles (oscillation method)

• Brush tension strength

• Heat resistance test (immersed in a simulated liquid at 50 ℃, without softening or deformation)

• Corrosion resistance (metal parts of mouth tube: neutral salt spray test)

• Heavy metals (ICP-MS or AAS)

• Microorganisms (total bacterial count, mold, pathogenic bacteria)

• identification

3、 EU market requirements

The EU does not have separate regulations for makeup brushes, but considers them as consumer goods that come into contact with the skin and must comply with REACH regulations (EC 1907/2006), persistent organic pollutant regulations (POPs), and the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD). The main testing requirements are as follows:

1. Restriction of Hazardous Substances (According to Annex XVII of REACH)

2. Microbial requirements

• At present, there is no unified mandatory standard, but ISO 17516 (Microbial Limits for Cosmetics) is generally followed. The recommended values are: total bacterial count ≤ 1000 CFU/g, yeast/mold ≤ 100 CFU/g, and no specific pathogenic bacteria.

3. Labels and Information

• Material identification (such as "wool" or "synthetic fiber"), washing instructions (if reused).

• Compliant with the SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern) information transmission obligation under REACH.

4、 US market requirements

The regulation of makeup brushes in the United States is mainly based on the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). As makeup brushes are not cosmetics, FDA registration is not required. However, if the bristles fall off or contain toxic substances that cause injury, they may be subject to CPSC regulation.

1. Key regulations and limits

2. Common voluntary standards

• ASTM E2149 (Antibacterial Performance Test, if antibacterial claims are made)

• AATCC 100 (antibacterial bristle material)

• ASTM D6400 (compostable, if declared environmentally friendly)

3. Label requirements

• Country of Origin (e.g. "Made in China")

• Fiber components (such as "100% synthetic beers")

• If it contains animal hair, it may be necessary to declare the animal species (goat hair, gray rat hair, etc.).

5、 Other specialized testing and certification (mandatory for international brands)

6、 Special testing for different bristle materials