A yearly cosmetics investigation conducted by China State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) declared that 18 brands of whitening & freckle cosmetic products do not conform to the state restriction standards on mercury, phenol and hydroquinone.
The outcome of this test published on the SFDA website last Friday shows that fifteen brands severely exceed the country’s maximum limitation on mercury; two brands on phenol and hydroquinone respectively; and one on all the three restrictive components.
Manufacturers of these problematic cosmetics are located in Hong Kong (2), Guangzhou (5), Shanghai (1), Harbin (3), Shenzhen (3), Jiangsu (1) and Zhuhai (3), among which two companies are Sino-Japanese joint ventures and another works under a South Korean supervisor trader.
SFDA reminds public consumers not purchase the products listed and consumers are encouraged to report to local authorities of food and drug safety for any other products suspected of violation against the restriction on hazardous substances in cosmetics.