Harmful substances found in consumer products
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Hong Kong customs said it had launched an investigation into nine Japanese beauty products, labelled "SK-II", after some were found to contain banned substances.
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Authorities found chromium and neodymium ions in several SK-II products imported from Japan, including powder, foundation, lotion and cleansing oil.
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The substances are banned in Hong Kong. Chromium can cause eczema, while neodymium irritates the skin and can damage the lungs and liver if inhaled.
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Some of the products have been removed from some shops in Hong Kong.
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The customs department said it would conduct lab tests on the samples it had collected to see whether they contained the two substances.
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Local consumer watchdogs will also follow up the case, it said.
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Procter and Gamble (Japan), the owner of SK-II, denied it had added the substances to its products and said it would cooperate with the authorities to resolve the issue.
"We will talk with the authorities about the technological problem. For example, in our country (Japan), grain is allowed to remain at 1ppm (1mg per kilogram) of chrome and powder is allowed to remain at 2ppm. For cosmetics, the technology needs further clarification," the Japanese company said.
The statement didn't explain whether "our country" refers to Japan or the United States. Phone calls to P&G spokesperson were unanswered.
It said chrome is a material that exists in natural items, such as water and food, it added.
The Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau found a type of SK-II cosmetic containing 4.5 mg/kg of neodymium. It also found chromium in some other types of SK-II cosmetics, with a rate of 0.77 mg/kg to 2.0 mg/kg.
According to Regulations on Hygienic Standards for Cosmetics (GB1976), cosmetics should not contain chromium or neodymium.
Experts say chromium can cause skin diseases such as allergic dermatitis and eczema, which is very hard to cure. Neodymium can cause irritation of the eyes and mucosa. If inhaled, the substance can damage the lung and liver.
Europe has also banned these two elements in cosmetics, according to the administration.
SK-II got into trouble last year because a customer said her skin was damaged by a corrosive ingredient in the product and filed a lawsuit against P&G.
In another development, the administration issued warnings against food products imported from Japan after a series of products were found to contain excessive chemicals.
The administration said they have found quality problems in more than 30 batches of food products imported from Japan since June.
The Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau found excessive sorbic acid in fish sticks, reaching a rate of 1.3g /kg, 17.3 times the nation's safety limit.
It has also detected excessive sorbic acid in salted carrots imported from Kyushu in Japan. -
i dun use SK-II one........
cannot afford to buy so asspensive stuff for me face
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I just finish one bottle....
kns.
but tt one only is in hk right...
i trust sg one is better..... -
heard sg one is come from hk one
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i think they would use the same ingredients to make the products. they have real high standards of quality control so these ingredients might have been purposely put inside?Originally posted by FireIce:heard sg one is come from hk one -
reminds me of cat woman - sharon stone also put harmful ingredients in her line of revolutionary anti-aging product.... then Halle Berry accidentally discovered the dark secret and was killed............. etc etc
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walao.Originally posted by FireIce:heard sg one is come from hk one
who say one..... -
No wonder it promoter sammi, a star from hk recently like kena so many health problem
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All import from one place one la. So all will have.
Unless its found in batches.. den maybe sg batch dont have. Or it may be a hoax...