In a crackdown on the sale of unsafe cosmetics, Derby City Council’s Trading Standards team have removed dozens of unsafe products from shelves as part of a wider East Midlands initiative to protect consumers.
The work follows on from national concerns around the sale of counterfeit and unsafe cosmetics being sold in the UK, which can cause serious harm to those who use them.
198 cosmetic products, from a range of retailers across the East Midlands area, were examined by officers in the Region. 78% of these products were found to be non-compliant with UK cosmetic safety regulations.
Other key findings included:
- 29% of the 35 products screen tested from national retailers were non-compliant
- 88% of the 163 products screen tested from other trader types were non-compliant
- 44% of products did not bear the responsible person details
- 71% of products required some follow up work
- 28% of products had restricted/banned ingredients
- 35% of products were seized by officers (none of these were from national traders)
Banned ingredients included butylphenyl methylpropional (‘Lilial’) - which was previously used as a fragrance in cosmetics and can cause harm to the reproductive system - and hydroquinone, mainly used in skin lightening products. The ingredient is linked to skin irritation, skin discolouration, contact dermatitis and has the potential to cause cancer.
Collaborating with Trading Standards East Midlands, each local authority decided which type of product they would look at.
The Trading Standards team at Derby City Council seized 12 different product types, mostly lightening creams, from independent retailers – in each case, removing all stock of the individual products from sale on shelves. The products also contained banned ingredients, including hydroquinone, non-permitted colours, and corticosteroids. These will be safely disposed of.
A further 72 products were removed from sale for breaching UK cosmetic legislation, including missing information on labels. In all cases, none of the harmful cosmetic products were imported into the UK by Derby businesses – they were retailed in the city, and the details were passed on to the relevant local authorities.
Councillor Shiraz Khan, Cabinet Member for Housing, Strategic Planning, and Regulatory Services, said:
I’m proud of the work that the Trading Standards team at Derby City Council, as part of a wider East Midlands initiative, have done to tackle the sale of harmful cosmetic products.
During the cost-of-living crisis, it might be tempting for people to do cosmetic treatments at home, but the products can cause serious harm if they contain banned ingredients or lack the relevant information on labels.
This recent project shows just how necessary it is that we tackle the sale of harmful cosmetics in local authorities across the country, and our Trading Standards team work hard to ensure that products, which are being sold in Derby, are safe for all.
Trading Standards advise that consumers purchase their cosmetic products from a reputable retailer and ensure that they are correctly labelled, including the UK/EU responsible person’s name and address, full ingredients list, and identification marking.
Consumers can report any concerns about cosmetic products to Trading Standards by calling the free Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.