Schools should provide education on cosmetics use, as more teenagers wear makeup and need help in choosing safe products, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin Yueh-chin (林月琴) said yesterday.
Sudan red dye is a carcinogenic chemical banned in foods, medicines and cosmetics in Taiwan, but late last month, it was detected in some makeup products. The Ministry of Health and Welfare promptly removed the products from circulation.
At a joint news conference by DPP lawmakers and the Taiwan Tao Zhan Civil Empowering Association, the speakers cited a survey on teenagers’ cosmetics use.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
About 68 percent of respondents said they put on makeup, 80 percent of whom said they were high-school or vocational high-school students.
Half of elementary-school students said they have put on makeup before.
Most children start using makeup when they are aged 8 to 13, while about 11.5 percent said they were exposed to makeup before they were 7, data showed.
While people start using makeup younger, cosmetics labeling remains opaque, Lin said, adding that schools and the industry failed to provide education on cosmetics.
Authorities should also help teenagers adopt a healthy attitude toward their body image, she said.
DPP Legislator Lai Hui-yuan (賴惠員) said wearing makeup for special occasions and holidays has long been common among teenagers in other countries.
The adoption of K-pop culture has significantly increased Taiwanese children’s use of makeup, but education on the issue remains inadequate, Lai said.
Children should be equipped with proper knowledge to protect their health, she said.
Association honorary president Tsou Hsin-yu (鄒新猷), an elementary-school teacher, said that more than half of the respondents agreed to have courses on cosmetics use.
The government should publish a cosmetics guide written in everyday language, and cooperate with experts and cosmetic retailers, he said.
Student representative Hsiao Yu-ju (蕭鈺儒), an eighth-grade student, said some of her classmates wear masks in classroom due to anxiety over their appearance.
Commercial cosmetics are not 100 percent safe, especially for children, Hsiao said.
For example, salicylic acid is an anti-acne element used in many mainstream beauty products, but its pH levels are safe for adults, but might not be suitable for children, despite complying with standards, she said.
The government should build a safe environment where teenagers can learn to express themselves and use cosmetics in a healthy way, she added.
Additional reporting by CNA
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