In April 2026, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) disclosed the Taipei City Health Department's 2025 enforcement data on misleading advertising. Cosmetic ads accounted for 167 violations with fines totaling NT$10.51 million.
CIRS has compiled the key findings from this announcement, covering the top three categories of non-compliant cosmetic advertising claims with typical offending phrases, and summerized the regulatory framework for exosome-related claims, for your reference.
Three Major Types of Cosmetic Advertising Violations
According to the supplementary table "Common Types of Cosmetic Advertising Violations," non-compliant cosmetic advertisements were primarily concentrated in the following three claim categories:
| Rank | Claim Category | No. of Violations | Percentage |
| 1 | Promoting cellular activity or collagen production | 46 | 27.5% |
| 2 | Anti-inflammatory, anti-swelling | 38 | 22.8% |
| 3 | Hair growth promotion | 29 | 17.4% |
Common non-compliant phrases by category include:
Rank 1-Promoting cellular activity or collagen production (46 cases, 27.5%):
Typical non-compliant phrases include "botox in a bottle," "topical medical aesthetics PRP," "better than ultrasound therapy," "skin regeneration," "replenish and boost collagen," "stimulate collagen production," "promote keratinocyte renewal," "significant increase in dermal thickness," "DNA repair," "improve skin blood circulation," "promote skin microcirculation," "fill depressions," "firm and lift."
Rank 2-Anti-inflammatory, anti-swelling (38 cases, 22.8%):
Typical non-compliant phrases include "counteract free radical damage," "soothe and calm inflamed skin," "antiviral," "no fear of intimate infections," "instantly block bacterial invasion," "inhibit bad bacteria," "reduce allergies," "alleviate redness and swelling," "inhibit acne inflammation," "say goodbye to baby diaper rash," "instantly soothe eczema discomfort."
Rank 3-Hair growth promotion (29 cases, 17.4%):
Typical non-compliant phrases include "treat alopecia areata," "stress-related hair loss," "receding hairline," "solve hair loss," "promote hair growth," "hair regeneration," "widening hair part," "improve thinning hair," "even drain holes grow hair," "restore black hair and stop graying," "reduce white hair," "reshape natural black hair color."
"Exosome" Claim Guidelines: Compliance Framework for Cosmetic Advertising
In Taiwan, China, cosmetic product claims must be consistent with actual ingredients and must not be false or exaggerated. Where a product claims to contain "exosomes," the source must be specified and substantiated with supporting evidence, with compliance assessed on a holistic basis. Depending on the source, three categories of rules apply:
(1) Human-derived exosomes: Products that have been reviewed and approved by the Taiwan FDA may claim "exosome" in accordance with the actual ingredients added.
(2) Animal-derived: Where the INCI name is labeled as "Exosome," the product may claim "exosome" in accordance with actual ingredients added. Where the INCI name is not "Exosome," supporting evidence is required, and the product ingredient label must include a notation such as "identified to contain exosomes." If supporting evidence is insufficient, no "exosome" claim is permitted.
(3) Plant-derived or other sources: Claiming "exosome" is strictly prohibited. Where plant-derived "extracellular vesicles" are added as an ingredient, the terms "extracellular vesicles" or "extracellular bodies" may be used instead.
Impact and Recommendations
The enforcement statistics and supplementary guidance issued by the Taipei City Health Department signal the following key developments:
(1) Online platforms, particularly company official websites, remain the primary focus of enforcement, accounting for 78.3% of all violations. Cosmetic companies should exercise heightened caution when publishing advertisements on official websites and social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), ensuring that claims do not imply medical efficacy or exaggerate product benefits.
(2) The three most prevalent types of cosmetic advertising violations- promoting cellular activity/collagen production, anti-inflammatory/anti-swelling, and hair growth- all involve varying degrees of medical efficacy claims. Companies must maintain a clear distinction between cosmetic functions and pharmaceutical/medical device claims.
(3) "Exosome" as an emerging and popular ingredient claim now has a clearly defined compliance framework in Taiwan. Of particular note, plant-derived products are strictly prohibited from using the term "exosome"; only terms such as "extracellular vesicles" or "extracellular bodies" are permissible. Cosmetic companies should carefully evaluate their product claim language.
(4) The Taiwan FDA amended the "Advertising Processing Principles under Article 45 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation" on January 31, 2024, incorporating advertising violation circumstances as a weighting factor in penalty severity assessment. This allows for significantly increased penalties, substantially raising the cost of non-compliance.
CIRS Reminder
Cosmetic companies are advised to conduct a comprehensive review of their advertising claims to ensure compliance with Taiwan cosmetic advertising regulations. If you need any assistance or have any questions, please get in touch with us via service@cirs-group.com.
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- Taiwan Cosmetics Product Notification
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