be vigilant! The cosmetics industry has once again exposed the scandal of concealing preservatives, and a new case has been revealed!
In recent years, the supervision of the cosmetics industry has been continuously strengthened, and the punishment for illegal and irregular behaviors has become increasingly severe. Recently, Guangdong Meibao Cosmetics Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Guangdong Meibao") was punished by the drug regulatory authorities for concealing the addition of preservatives and other issues, once again sounding the alarm for the entire industry.
On October 25, 2024, well-known counterfeiter Wang Hai posted on Weibo through his "Wang Hai Evaluation" account that both Taobao and Pinduoduo were selling C2U ® Sheep embryo Suwei C Firming and Shurun facial mask was found to have illegally (concealed) added the preservative "chlorophenylene glycol". The company's filing person/manufacturer: Guangdong Meibao was fined 70150.58 yuan for this.
The "Notice on Handling Reports" released by the Wang Hai Evaluation Team reveals that the Chaonan District Market Supervision Administration of Shantou City conducted on-site inspections of Guangdong Meibao and reported "C2U" by consumers ® The sample test of sheep placenta vitamin C firming and soothing facial mask showed that the content of "chlorophenylene glycol" in the product reached 0.16%.
According to data, chlorpheniramine is often used as a preservative in cosmetics, with antifungal and antibacterial properties, but there is a risk of causing skin allergic reactions. It has been reported that this ingredient can cause many people to experience irritant reactions and contact dermatitis, especially those with sensitive and dry skin who are more susceptible. In addition, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a reminder advising pregnant women, lactating women, and children to avoid using personal care products containing chlorpheniramine. Meanwhile, several countries, including Japan, have implemented strict restrictions on the concentration of its use in cosmetics. According to the "Technical Specification for Safety of Cosmetics (2015 Edition)" in China, the maximum allowable concentration of chlorpheniramine in cosmetics is 0.3%.
Obviously, the product in question is' C2U ' ® Sheep embryo Suwei C Firming and Shurun facial mask was found to be "chlorophenylene glycol", which confirmed the authenticity of Wang Hai's report and further confirmed that Guangdong Meibao concealed the addition of preservatives in the cosmetics production process.
At the same time, the Chaonan District Market Supervision Administration also received additional information about another non reported cosmetic product from Guangdong Meibao that failed the sampling inspection, and decided to merge this case with the previous one for handling.
In the end, Guangdong Meibao's illegal gains of 10291.58 yuan were confiscated by the Chaonan District Market Supervision Administration for producing and operating cosmetics that did not comply with technical specifications and did not meet the technical requirements stated in the cosmetics registration and filing materials; Confiscate 5 boxes of "C2U sheep placenta vitamin C firming and soothing facial mask", 18 pieces of "C2U sheep placenta vitamin C firming and soothing facial mask" and 7 boxes of "DiOu sunscreen SPF50+PA+++"; Fined 59859 yuan for handling goods worth 5.4 times the amount. The total fine is 70150.58 yuan.
In order to thank Wang Hai, the Chaonan District Market Supervision Administration also rewarded him with 3000 yuan in accordance with relevant laws.
It is worth noting that the punishment imposed on Guangdong Meibao did not specify whether it was due to excessive or illegal addition of chlorpheniramine.
The basis for Guangdong Meibao's punishment is the violation of Article 6 (2) and Article 29 (2) of the Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Cosmetics.
The second paragraph of Article 6 of the Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Cosmetics stipulates that "cosmetics producers and operators shall engage in production and operation activities in accordance with laws, regulations, mandatory national standards, and technical specifications, strengthen management, maintain integrity and self-discipline, and ensure the quality and safety of cosmetics." The second paragraph of Article 29 stipulates that "cosmetics registrants, filers, and entrusted production enterprises shall produce cosmetics in accordance with the technical requirements stated in the cosmetics registration or filing materials
Judging from the punishment of Guangdong Meibao, its products such as "C2U sheep placenta Suwei C firming and soothing facial mask" failed to produce in accordance with the technical requirements specified in the registration or filing materials. However, whether this violation specifically refers to the illegal addition of preservatives or is caused by excessive addition is not clearly stated in the punishment decision. However, regardless, Guangdong Meibao's punishment for illegal addition is not unjustified.
This year, the Ai'er Doctor brand under the listed company Lushang Furuida Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., as well as products from well-known companies such as Yalijie, Jiefang, and Tianqi, were all found to have concealed ingredients. However, there is currently no authoritative conclusion on whether these products are illegal due to the presence of trace amounts of unregistered ingredients.
The "Technical Guidelines for Filling in Cosmetics Formulas" released by the China National Institute for Food and Drug Control in 2023 clearly states that trace ingredients do not belong to cosmetic formula ingredients. At the same time, the National Medical Products Administration also supports this viewpoint in the "Frequently Asked Questions on Cosmetics Supervision and Management (V)", stating that trace antioxidants, preservatives, stabilizers, and other ingredients added to ensure the quality of raw materials have a certain degree of flexibility in their labeling methods, as long as they comply with regulations. They can be labeled or not labeled. On the other hand, there are also multiple cases of punishment for the unmarked preservative "phenoxyethanol". (Please refer to the article "Wang Hai Exposes Fierce Material Again: Yalijie Whitening Sunscreen Milk Involves Illegal Addition and False Promotion Double Fraud")
It is worth emphasizing that although the regulatory efforts in the cosmetics industry have continued to increase in recent years, there are still a few companies that are willing to take risks and adopt illegal means such as concealing the addition of harmful ingredients in order to reduce costs or pursue product effectiveness. This behavior not only seriously violates the legitimate rights and interests of consumers, but also causes great damage to the healthy development of the entire industry. Therefore, relevant departments must continue to increase regulatory efforts and impose severe punishments on illegal and irregular behaviors as a warning to others. Only in this way can we more effectively protect the interests of legally produced enterprises and consumers, and promote the sustainable and healthy development of the cosmetics industry.