Why these two names appear in every quote
Both are good manufacturing practice standards. GMPC — good manufacturing practice for cosmetics — is the form widely used in China and recognised in a number of export markets. ISO 22716 is the international standard for cosmetics GMP, published by ISO and adopted across the EU and elsewhere.
They overlap heavily. The practical difference is which markets and auditors recognise which document.
What they actually cover
These standards address the system around production rather than the product itself:
- Premises and equipment — zoning, cleaning, maintenance, calibration
- Personnel — hygiene, training, responsibilities
- Raw materials — supplier approval, incoming checks, storage and traceability
- Production — documented procedures, batch records, deviation handling
- Quality control — sampling, testing, release authority
- Complaints and recalls — how problems are recorded and acted on
In short: whether the plant is organised, documented and repeatable.
What ISO 22716 adds on top of GMPC
ISO 22716 is structured as an international standard, which matters for two practical reasons. European importers and distributors often ask for it by name because it is the standard their own regulators reference. And because it is an ISO document, it can be assessed by recognised certification bodies, which makes the certificate easier to verify independently.
What a certificate does not tell you
This is the part worth internalising before you put weight on a document.
- It does not say the product is safe, effective or compliant in your market
- It does not say the factory currently operates the way the standard requires — it says the audit found the system in place on the audit date
- It does not cover product-specific requirements, labelling rules or filing obligations
- It does not distinguish between a factory that builds its process around the standard and one that builds documentation around the audit
Better questions than "do you have a certificate?"
- Which body issued the certificate, and what is its scope?
- When was the last audit, and can I see the certificate number to verify it?
- Who is responsible for batch release, and what authority do they have to reject a batch?
- Can I see a batch record, with commercial details removed?
- What was the last non-conformity raised, and what changed as a result?
That last question is the most informative one in the list. Every plant has findings; a factory that can describe one and what it changed is a factory that is actually running the system.
Treat certificates as the entry requirement, not the assurance. The verification is in the batch records, the laboratory and the answers to questions the certificate does not cover.
