China’s State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) would soon issue an implementation plan for monitoring safety of cosmetics and skincare products. This will be the country’s first safety assessment and monitoring system that will lay strict standards to be adhered to by major skincare and beauty brands. In 2006, Japanese-made products of SK-II, a brand of the U.S. firm Procter & Gamble Co., were found in China to contain chromium. Chromium is an element that causes skin allergies and is widely prohibited in the production of cosmetics and skin care products. The findings stirred waves of consumer demand for refunds nationwide and P&G temporarily pulled SK-II from Chinese mainland stores. As it later turned out, the banned element was not added deliberately, but was contained in other ingredients of the products. The SDFA recently issued guidelines on its website that specify procedures, requirements and other information of safety assessment of cosmetics and skincare products.
Source: www.news.xinhuanet.com
