Red Alert on Fraud in the Cosmetics Industry

The product is advertised as having the effect of "protecting the skin from the sun and whitening the whole body", with an SPF index of 50 as stated on the label, but the test results at the Ho Chi Minh City Drug Testing Institute showed that the product's SPF index was only 2.4 - a very low level, not enough to protect the skin from UV rays in real conditions.

2.4- A number so low that it is almost useless if the user expects protection from sun damage.

This is not only a serious violation of product labeling regulations, but also a direct threat to consumers' health, especially when this product is commonly used during the hot season.

Authorities determined that VB Group Trading and Service Company Limited was responsible for distribution, while EBC Dong Nai Medical Factory Joint Stock Company was the manufacturer. Both companies had been involved in a scandal when a batch of their Hanayuki shampoo was recalled because it contained microorganisms exceeding the limit and undeclared ingredients.

In the context of a bustling cosmetics market, a series of domestic brands have sprung up with "divine" advertising, and false declarations about ingredients, uses and quality have become a burning issue.

Many consumers have become "victims" of lack of control, believing in "miraculous sunscreen" and "instant whitening" products, only to pay the price with allergies, dark spots, skin irritation, and even skin cancer in the long run.

Labeling a product with an SPF of 2.4 as “SPF 50” is no longer an administrative violation, but a form of organized deception. This is a business model that preys on gullibility, putting consumers at risk without them even knowing it.

More seriously, it also destroys confidence in the domestic cosmetics market, hindering the development of genuine brands that are trying to comply with international standards.

While the Drug Administration has decided to suspend, recall and destroy the batch, requiring the two related companies to report before June 15 and take responsibility for receiving the returned products, the question is: Are the current sanctions enough of a deterrent? How many people have used and are using this product? Who will be responsible if users suffer skin damage or health damage?

Given the seriousness of the situation, experts believe that it is necessary to consider criminal prosecution of manufacturing and distribution units that intentionally mislabel products, causing consequences for public health. The situation of “recalling products when they are defective, but no one takes specific responsibility” cannot continue.

Not only Hanayuki, recently, the Ministry of Health has also continuously discovered a series of cosmetics that violate the law: wrong ingredients, exceed microbial standards, false advertising, and even unknown origins. "Hand-carried" cosmetics, "online" goods, and livestreams that close orders quickly but are not tested are causing many dangers to consumers.

The Ministry of Health has promptly sent documents to localities, requesting to strengthen inspection and post-inspection of cosmetics nationwide, especially cosmetics advertised on social networks and e-commerce platforms, where unethical business people can easily approach buyers more than ever.

It is time to stop looking down on cosmetics as a “common consumer” item. Each tube of cream or bottle of serum, if not properly controlled, can become an invisible poison that erodes the health of the user over time.

The Vietnamese beauty industry can only develop if it is built on a foundation of trust, business ethics and strict compliance with the law. And every consumer and every authority needs to be a link in that chain of protection so that “beauty” no longer has to be traded for silent pain.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/canh-bao-do-ve-su-gian-doi-trong-nganh-my-pham-d284973.html