COMPLAINTS OF HARMFUL COSMETICS MORE THAN DOUBLED FROM 2015 TO 2016

At Herbally Radiant we were not surprised to learn about the outcome of the recent study that confirms that the consumer complaints of harmful cosmetic products increased by hundred per cent over one year alone. More and more products, especially being supplied by online enterprises do not conform to the safety standards and contain several chemical ingredients that damage the skin or cause have harmful effects.

Herbally Radiant has learnt that many consumers do not bother to register their complaints. The percentage of dissatisfied customers would therefore be substantially much higher.  Many cosmetic products entice consumers with active ingredients that will plump, lengthen and boost.

MNT report recently referred to the new study of Northwestern Medicine study which reveals very unsatisfactory situation. The study reports consumer complaints more than doubled for cosmetic products from 2015 to 2016, with hair care products being the biggest offender. But consumers remain at risk because the industry receives little regulatory scrutiny and does not require pre-approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"The FDA has much less authority to recall cosmetics from the market in stark contrast to drugs or medical devices," said corresponding author Dr. Steve Xu, a resident physician in dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "It's harder for the FDA to get harmful cosmetics off the shelves."

Since cosmetic manufacturers are not required to submit adverse health events to the FDA, the current data sources to track product safety are significantly limited. Even though there were more than 5,000 events reported to the FDA from 2004 to 2016, it's likely only the tip of the iceberg, Xu said. He suspects many events are not reported by consumers or doctors.

Herbally Radiant has been advising its customers to satisfy themselves of the quality of the products and read the ingredients. Where the product is marketed with 'too-good-to-be-true' claims, better avoid it.