[2Firsts]According to a July 31 report by Caixin, Yiling Health Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Shijiazhuang Yiling Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., has come under public scrutiny after launching the “Lianhua Essential Oil Antibacterial Solution,” which is packaged with an atomizer device resembling an e-cigarette. On July 4, a video blogger released a review questioning whether the product was a “disguised e-cigarette,” noting that the atomizer’s appearance and usage were the same as that of conventional e-cigarettes. On July 16, the blogger stated that the video had been taken down following a complaint from Yiling Pharmaceutical. Caixin journalists contacted the company’s customer service, who confirmed that the product was indeed produced by Yiling Health. As of mid-July, it was still available for purchase on some Taobao stores, but these listings have since been removed.
Caixin reported that the product is made from a mixture of plant-based essential oils and does not contain forsythia or honeysuckle. The instructions state that it can be applied directly to the skin or mucous membranes for antibacterial purposes, or inhaled after atomization. Under current Chinese regulations, even if a product contains no nicotine, as long as it is inhaled through atomization, it is subject to e-cigarette regulations.
The report quoted Li Enze, Deputy Director-General and Secretary-General of the Public Welfare Legal Committee of the Tobacco Control and Health Association, as saying that such “herbal atomizers” are essentially e-cigarettes. He stressed that even if these products are registered as drugs or medical devices, stricter supervision is needed. He called for clearer responsibilities for operators, stricter sales restrictions, and measures to avoid inducing minors. He expressed concern that such products could spark minors’ curiosity about e-cigarettes.
Caixin also noted that similar herbal atomization products have become increasingly common in recent years. In 2025, regulators canceled the registration category of “medical heating atomizers” as medical devices. As a long-established traditional Chinese medicine company, Yiling Pharmaceutical, facing a sharp decline in performance in 2024, attempted to launch such products, but these products have now been quietly removed from the market.
2Firsts also noted that in May 2025, the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) held a press conference on e-cigarette regulation. In response to media questions about the regulation of herbal atomizers, the STMA stated: “…Herbal atomizers that are produced and sold under the guise of registration or filing as medical devices, do not contain nicotine, and are used by atomizing all or part of the liquid into aerosols for inhalation, sucking, chewing, or sniffing, fall under the category of e-cigarettes.”
The STMA emphasized that for such products, on the one hand, it will deepen interdepartmental collaboration and strengthen source control. In 2025, the Center for Medical Device Standards Management of the National Medical Products Administration revised the 2020–2021 Compilation of Medical Device Classification Results, annulling Item 254 regarding “medical heating atomizers,” thereby eliminating the possibility of herbal atomizers obtaining medical device registration from the source. On the other hand, it will maintain a high-pressure enforcement stance, resolutely clean up and rectify these products, and continue strict crackdowns on herbal atomizer e-cigarettes.
Cover photo: Screenshot of Caixin report
