Hallstar

ON THE STRENGTH OF SYTENOL^® A’S SAFETY AND PERFORMANCE DATA,
HALLSTAR IS THE FIRST COMPANY TO SUCCESSFULLY SECURE APPROVAL
FOR BAKUCHIOL TO BE SOLD AS A COSMETIC INGREDIENT IN CHINA

As of August 19, 2026, plant-derived active bakuchiol has been officially added to the
government’s “List of Used Ingredients.” Sytenol^® A is the gold standard
bakuchiol product developed over 15 years ago at Sytheon Ltd., now part of Hallstar.

[August 31, 2026] — First introduced in cosmetics as a natural alternative to retinol based on its ability to modulate gene expression associated with skin aging, bakuchiol is now increasingly recognized for its broader influence on skin health, resilience and longevity.

As the founder and trusted leader of the global bakuchiol movement who also understands the importance of the China market to skin care brands, Hallstar was unsurprisingly the first chemical supplier to submit the pioneering active to the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in China back in 2022. The years-long safety monitoring period was recently concluded, and the ingredient has been recognized as meeting the requirements of the “Regulation on the Supervision and Administration of Cosmetics” requirements.

“Over the years, our scientists’ extensive clinical data and efficacy testing have driven bakuchiol’s growing reputation and were the basis of our initial 2022 application.” Hallstar Beauty President Mary Kons points out. “We know first-hand how Sytenol^® A solves our customers’ formulation challenges, and we’re proud to have engineered this recent approval in China.”

Eileen Zhang, General Manager of Hallstar Asia-Pacific, offers a similar perspective. “Our team regularly interacts with customers hoping to use bakuchiol in formulations for the China market. We continue to support them not only through our product development and regulatory expertise but through ongoing clinical research. Just this past June, we published a landmark 84-day, double-blind trial in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology which explicitly evaluated and proven the topical efficacy of bakuchiol (Sytenol^® A) on a Chinese population. Hallstar is committed to helping more customers and consumers clearly understand – and benefit from – the significance of Sytenol^® A’s performance, quality and safety profile.”

“China’s NMPA process is thorough and exacting, which is well-suited to Hallstar’s high scientific standards,” says Eyaad Odeh, Director of Regulatory Affairs. “This month’s final approval cites very specific parameters, i.e., that bakuchiol can be used in China in facial skin care formulations for the purpose of moisturizing, skin and feel skin protection at a use level of 1%. As Hallstar’s recommended use of the ingredients is between 0.5% to 1.0%, we see broad applicability for our customers’ development projects.”

Odeh shared that Hallstar’s bakuchiol regulation efforts in China are not finished. “We have another submission in the NMPA pipeline for usage of bakuchiol at 2% and for additional skin care targets. We expect more good news from China when that safety monitoring process is complete.”

Further information on Sytenol^® A, including a list of ground-breaking bakuchiol research publications, can be found at www.hallstarbeauty.com/sytenol-a.