SK-II cosmetics get under consumers' skins
By Wu Jiao and Joy Lu (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-09-25 09:06
Chromium and Neodymium are not listed for regular inspection. So this means
the two chemicals might have been neglected for a long time, said Yan. Chromium,
a metal which can lead to instant whitening of the skin, has been the focus of
the SK-II dispute.
Meanwhile, Yan also believes that the country's
procedure for licensing sales of imported cosmetics is problematic. "A product
is licensed based on samples. But this inspection is loose and ineffective,
which creates loopholes," said Yan.
And many countries require producers
to give a full list of all the ingredients on the label, but China doesn't have
such a regulation, said Yan.
A new twist developed in Hong Kong this
weekend. Two media organizations separately sampled popular foundation and
powder products and took them to Hong Kong Standards and Testing Centre.
The result: chromium was found in samples of Clinique, Estee Lauder,
Christian Dior, Max Factor, Lancome and Shiseido. The level of chromium in some
samples was even higher than SK-II.
Hong Kong Customs and Excise
Department on Saturday announced its test results on nine SK-II samples. The
samples were found to contain chromium, but they can still be safely used,
according to the department.
Beauty store chain Sa Sa, a mecca for
mainland cosmetics shoppers, said affected products have already been taken off
the shelf. The company is yet to calculate the impact on
sales.
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