Abstract: HPLC was applied to the determination of 5 fluorescent whitening agents in cosmetics.The sample was extracted ultrasonically with methanol.C18 chromatographic column was used as stationary phase with mixtures of methanol and 5 mmol·L-1 tetrabutylammonium hydrogensulfate with different mixing ratios as mobile phase in the gradient elution,and determined with fluorescence detector.Linear relationships between values of peak area and mass concentration of the 5 fluorescent whitening agents were kept in definite ranges,with lower limits of determination (10S/N) in the range of 0.1-2.0 μg·g-1.On the base of blank sample,test for recovery was made by standard addition method;values of recovery found were in the range of 85.1%-97.1%,with RSD′s (n=6) in the range of 1.4%-5.7%.