Warning on imported cosmetic products

Herefordshire Council's trading standards department is warning county consumers to be careful when purchasing imported cosmetic products.

The warning comes after a project carried out by the Central England Trading Standards Authorities Partnership (CEnTSA) found that half of the 24 imported cosmetic products tested failed the Cosmetic Products Safety Regulations 2004.

The results are:
• Five items failed to display a list of ingredients found in them
• Eight did not list all the ingredients found in them. Consumers would be prevented from making an informed decision about the product and would be at risk if they had a sensitivity or allergy
• Seven of the cosmetic products did not declare a shelf life, and some cosmetics deteriorate with age
• Eight of the items did not identify the importer or manufacturer so it would be difficult to trace them in the event of a safety issue or product recall
• Six items did not have a batch number or code. This would prevent retailers doing stock rotation or identifying when stock is out of date, so increasing wastage and losing them profit. In the event of a product recall all the stock may need to be destroyed, as any fault with a particular batch run could not be identified
• Five samples had inaccurate claims

Two products were found to be unsafe. One, a nail varnish contained benzyl butyl phthalate which is a substance known to be toxic for reproduction and may cause harm to the developing foetus and may impair fertility. The other, a skin lightening body lotion contained Hydroquinone which is a category 3 mutagen, a category 3 carcinogen and a potential skin sensitizer.

The objective of the project was to ensure the safety of cosmetic products found in the cheaper end of the market and items sampled included children's toy makeup, free cosmetic gifts attached to children's comics, skin lightening creams, face soaps, hair gel, glitter powder, lipsticks, body lotions, lip-gloss, nail polish and removers, skin whiteners, deodorant products containing some form of sun protection and men's face creams.

All were purchased from the cheaper retail outlets and market stalls. Many were cheap foreign imports. Twelve authorities took part, including Herefordshire Council. Each authority purchased two items, which were examined by Worcestershire Scientific Services.

A spokesperson from CEnTSA said: "The information about the cosmetic product was not always present, and when it was, it was hard to read, incomplete or worse, false or inaccurate.
"Buying cheap imported cosmetics carries a risk; they can be untraceable, uncontrolled, out of date, and incapable of doing what the product claims or even be unsafe.

"Some of those tested have ingredients, which can cause injury, ranging from sensitivity, burns, blisters, scarring or even damage an unborn human foetus or cancer. Some that claimed to offer some form of protection as a sunscreen did not protect from harmful UVA radiation," the spokesperson added.

Trading Standards are currently pursuing enforcement action. For example, 508 bottles of nail varnish have been seized from one market trader who had been supplied by wholesalers in the Midlands area.

Additionally importers are being visited and educated regarding the supply of cheap foreign imports, and their responsibilities to consumers, including their product liability implications.

Mike Pigrem, Herefordshire Council's regulatory services manager, said: "Research has shown that the average consumer uses around 10 cosmetics or personal care products each day. On any given day a consumer might rub, spray, pour or dab some combination of sunscreen, shampoo, body lotion, deodorant, perfume, toothpaste, hair gel or moisturiser onto their bodies.

"Consumers assume that every cosmetic product is safe to buy and use or it would not be able to be supplied into the UK. They are exposed to every means of advertising to promote what a cosmetic can do for them. They think every cosmetic they buy does what it says, and that they are continuously improved and tested so that they only use the best and safest ingredients in cosmetic products.

"This research, however, shows this is not always the case and we are now advising smaller retailers to ensure they only buy from reputable wholesalers and importers and to check the dates and origin of the products.

"We would always advise consumers to buy from reputable outlets and to make sure they have sufficient information about the product to be able to use it safely," he added.