With Mother’s Day just a few days away and cosmetic products a popular gift for mothers, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday released the results of its latest tests, with nearly 8 percent of the products tested failing its safety evaluations.
The agency conducted a random inspection of 165 products, with 13 failing the tests: five facial cream or lotion products, three hair dye products, two cleansing products and two false-eyelash glue products.
Huang Shou-chieh (黃守潔), a section chief at the agency, said the five facial cream or lotion products contained prohibited drugs, including steroids dexamethasone and dexamethasone phosphate, tretinoin and hydroquinone.
“Repeated use of steroids can cause atrophy and thinning of the skin connective tissue, acne, easy bruising or inflammatory folliculitis,” Huang said.
The two false-eyelash glue products — both imported from South Korea — were found to contain 176 parts per million (ppm) and 95.4ppm of formaldehyde — far above the maximum limit of 75ppm, Huang said, adding that excessive exposure can trigger inflammation, swelling or allergic reactions.
China Medical University dermatologist Chiu Pin-chi (邱品齊) said the excessive levels of formaldehyde might be from preservatives, but because it is a type of volatile organic compound that can become gas, applying false-eyelash glue containing it might irritate the eyes or trigger an allergic reaction to the skin around the eyes.
Huang said the two cleansing products are two popular caffeine shampoo products, but were found to contain salicylic acid and hair dye ingredients. Both are also parallel goods from Germany that have not been registered by their importers.
The FDA said the illegal products were confiscated, while urging consumers to carefully check labels when purchasing cosmetic products, and to report any irregularities to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s online cosmetic quality control system at qms.fda.gov.tw/tcbw.
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