You may have them in your cupboards. Maybe, you use them, still. Beware: they are dangerous, illegal, harmful… and are the subject of a recall or ban by the European sanitary authorities. Underneath, you may find all the cosmetic products targeted by the RAPEX alert system this week: hand sanitizers with insufficient alcohol content, henna contaminated with bacteria, a hair spray containing prohibited preservatives, and a lightening product with a hazardous ingredient.
Hand sanitizer
Brand: On Dermo Name: Gel Higienizante de manos/ Gel Hygiénisant pour les mains / Gel Igienizzante per le mani
Batch number: 8 435060 370367
Batch number : 0162020294
Type: Sin Agua/Sans Eau/Senza Acqua
• Country of origin: Spain
• Notifying country: France
Risk type: health
The product contains an insufficient amount of ethanol and propan-2-ol (measured values: ≤50% and ≤6%, respectively).
Consequently, it does not kill bacteria or viruses, which could then reach the user, increasing the risk of infection.
Furthermore, the presence of alcohols is not accompanied by the appropriate hazard pictograms and warnings. Users have therefore no information on the toxicity and flammability of the product.
The product does not comply with the Biocidal Products and the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulations.
Measures taken by economic operators: recall of the product from end users (by distributor)
Hand sanitizer
Brand: Ficomed
Name: Hijyenik - El Temizleme Jeli
• Country of origin: Turkey
• Notifying country: France
Risk type: health
The product contains an insufficient amount of ethanol (measured values: ≤33.5%).
Consequently, it does not kill bacteria or viruses, which could then reach the user.
Furthermore, the presence of ethanol is not accompanied by the corresponding hazard pictograms and warnings.
Users have therefore no information on the toxicity and flammability of the product.
The product does not comply with the Biocidal Products and the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulations.
Measures taken by economic operators: recall of the product from end users, Withdrawal of the product from the market (by distributor)
Henna
Brand: Gama
Name: Henna Hair Colouring Kina
Barcode: 5 055172 823006
Batch number: JO L 180804, JO L 181025, JO L 190827
• Country of origin: India
• Notifying country: Ireland
Risk type: microbiological
The product contains an excessive level of aerobic mesophilic bacteria (measured values up to 230,000 cfu/g) and yeast and mould (measured values up to 66,000 cfu/g).
If used on damaged skin, or if it comes into contact with the eyes, the product may cause infection or irritation.
The product does not comply with the Cosmetic Products Regulation.
Measures taken by economic operators: withdrawal of the product from the market (by retailer)
Hair spray
Brand: MessHead Name: Hair Therapy Heat Protection Spray
Batch number: 22260
Barcode: 5 025416 999040
• Country of origin: United-Kingdom
• Notifying country: Ireland
Risk type: chemical
The product contains a mixture of the preservatives methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone (measured values: 0.001% and 0.001%, respectively), which are forbidden in leave-on cosmetics.
Dermal contact with those substances provoke allergic contact dermatitis to sensitised persons.
The product does not comply with the Cosmetic Products Regulation.
Measures taken by economic operators: withdrawal of the product from the market (by retailer)
Skin lightening product
Brand: Bronz Tone, Gandour
Name: Fade Milk
Barcode: 6 181100 248296
Batch number: 1004087 «L»
Type: Beurre de Cacao & Extravis de Miel, Maxi Tone
• Country of origin: Ivory Coast
• Notifying country: Germany
Risk type: chemical
The product contains an unsafe amount of kojic acid (measured value: 3.6%).
Kojic acid can affect the balance of the thyroid system and also induce skin sensitisation, when used at high concentrations on hand and face, or if used on large areas of skin.
The product does not comply with the Cosmetic Products Regulation.
Measures taken by economic operators: stop of sales (by retailer)
Source
•Rapid Alert System - Weekly Reports, Report 28, European Commission, July 10, 2020