According to the latest data released by the General Administration of Customs on the "Volume and Value Table of Major Imported Commodities in December 2023 (RMB Value)", the total annual import volume of mainland cosmetics in 2023 will be 358564 tons, a cumulative decrease of 14.2% over the same period last year, and the import value will be 126 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 15.2%.
Despite this, imported cosmetics still occupy a large market share, and many overseas brands still have a place in the hearts of consumers. So, how to ensure the safety of these cosmetics that have traveled from afar?
The General Administration of Customs is responsible for the inspection and supervision of imported and exported cosmetics nationwide, and once it is found that there are unqualified imported cosmetics involving safety, health and environmental protection items, they will be directly destroyed or returned.
Consumer Reports compiled the information on cosmetics that were not allowed to enter the country published by the General Administration of Customs in the three years from January 2021 to December 2023. The results show that in the past three years, a total of 193 batches of substandard cosmetics were found in the inspection and supervision of customs at ports across the country, and the total weight of cosmetics that were not allowed to enter the country was 97 tons.
Most of the "problem cosmetics" are produced in Germany
From the perspective of origin, the production areas of cosmetics denied entry from 2021 to 2023 are distributed in 19 countries or regions. Among them, Germany is the largest source of cosmetics that have not been allowed to enter the country in the past three years, with 54 batches of unapproved batches, followed by France and Japan.
Shenzhen port intercepted the largest number of batches
Among the cosmetics that were not allowed to enter the country, Shenzhen port intercepted the most batches, reaching 75 batches, accounting for about 39%, followed by Shanghai, Tianjin, and Haikou ports, which intercepted 32 batches, 15 batches, and 14 batches respectively, and the cosmetics that were not allowed to enter the country at the 4 ports accounted for 70%.
The three categories that were rejected: essences, perfumes, and masks
The Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Inspection and Quarantine of Imported and Exported Cosmetics stipulate that imported cosmetics shall be stored in a place designated or approved by the Customs before obtaining the inspection and quarantine certificate, and no unit or individual shall transfer, sell or use them without the permission of the Customs.
After the customs accepts the inspection application, it will conduct inspection and quarantine on the imported cosmetics, including on-site inspection, sampling and retention, laboratory inspection, and certificate issuance.
In the past three years, the cosmetics that have not been allowed to enter the country the most are essence products, with 22 batches, accounting for 12.1%, followed by perfumes and facial masks, with 20 batches and 17 batches respectively.
In addition, the five categories of products such as face cream, hand sanitizer, eye cream, shower gel, and lotion have not been allowed to enter the country for 10 times or more.
The main reason for the non-entry was "unqualified labeling", and the banned ingredients hemp seed oil and boric acid were detected in 7 batches
Among the cosmetics that have been rejected for import in the past three years, 79 batches have not been allowed to enter the country due to unqualified labels, accounting for 41.1%, which is the most important rejection factor, followed by failure to provide certificates or qualification certification materials as required and exceeding the shelf life, which are relatively prominent, reaching 58 batches and 16 batches respectively.
1. The label is unqualified
According to the Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Inspection and Quarantine of Imported and Exported Cosmetics, the contents of the on-site inspection of imported cosmetics by the Customs include the conformity of the cargo certificate, product packaging, label layout, product sensory characteristics, and the hygienic conditions of the means of transport, containers or storage places.
The labeling of finished imported cosmetics products shall comply with the mandatory requirements of relevant laws, administrative regulations and national technical specifications of the mainland. The Customs shall review whether the content of the cosmetics label meets the requirements of laws and administrative regulations, and inspect the authenticity and accuracy of the quality-related content.
2. Failure to provide certificates or qualification certification materials as required
Among the unqualified imported cosmetics, the proportion of those who were not allowed to enter the country due to failure to provide certificates or conformity certification materials as required was as high as 30.2%, including: (1) the product was not filed and the certificate could not be provided, (2) the verification of the filing data was in the stage of suspension of sales when the product entered the country, and (3) the information was not provided in accordance with the requirements of the Measures for the Supervision and Quarantine of Import and Export Cosmetics issued by the former General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China.
3. Exceeding the expiration date
In the past three years, 16 batches of imported cosmetics intercepted by the General Administration of Customs have exceeded their shelf life. Article 39 of the Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Cosmetics stipulates that "cosmetics manufacturers and traders shall store and transport cosmetics in accordance with the provisions of relevant laws and regulations and the requirements of cosmetics labeling, and regularly inspect and promptly dispose of cosmetics that have deteriorated or exceeded the expiration date." "This is a legal obligation for cosmetics operators. If the relevant provisions are violated, it can be dealt with in accordance with Article 60 of the Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Cosmetics or Article 33 of the Administrative Punishment Law (revised in 2021).
4. Hemp seed oil components were detected
From 2021 to 2023, the General Administration of Customs of China detected 4 batches of imported cosmetics containing hemp seed oil, with a total weight of 130kg, and the product names involved Ultisy Pinedani Jasmine Facial Oil, Pentine Dead Sea Mud Handmade Soap Oval, Pentine Orange Blossom Facial Oil, and Goryana SHO Hemp Seed Anti-Wrinkle Mask.
In the past few years, a series of "hemp cosmetics" in the domestic market have been hyped up, and there are hundreds of cosmetics involving "hemp leaves" and "CBD" on sale on e-commerce platforms, including masks, essences, creams, eye creams, facial cleansers, etc., and many brands have good sales.
On May 28, 2021, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) issued the Announcement on Updating the Catalogue of Prohibited Raw Materials for Cosmetics (No. 74 of 2021), revising the Prohibited Components of Cosmetics (Table 1) and Prohibited Plant (Animal) Components of Cosmetics (Table 2) in Chapter II of the Safety and Technical Specifications for Cosmetics (2015 Edition) to form the Catalogue of Prohibited Raw Materials for Cosmetics and the Catalogue of Prohibited Phytophytologically (Animal) Raw Materials for Cosmetics.
Among them, hemp kernel fruit, hemp seed oil, hemp leaf extract, etc. are officially listed as prohibited components of cosmetics, and cosmetics registrants and filing persons are required not to produce cosmetics that use the above-mentioned prohibited raw materials in the formulation of imported products. Therefore, if there are these types of ingredients in imported cosmetics, they are judged to be unqualified.
With the update of regulatory policies, the "cannabis cosmetics" on major e-commerce platforms have disappeared, and the concept of cannabis skin care has become a thing of the past.
5. Boric acid/borate components were detected
In the past three years, boric acid/borate components were detected in 3 batches of unqualified imported cosmetics, with a total weight of 460kg, and the product names involved Yuebi Shi Dai Mengheng Moisturizing Serum, Yue Bishi Soothing Rejuvenating Milk, and Oleyan Rejuvenating and Firming Serum.
Boric acid is generally used as a preservative in cosmetics and also as a pH adjuster. However, boric acid and borate are excreted slowly in the human body, and long-term ingestion can produce accumulation, leading to chronic poisoning.
Before the revision of the cosmetics standard, boric acid, borate and tetraborate were restricted components in cosmetics, and according to the Catalogue of Prohibited Raw Materials for Cosmetics updated by the above-mentioned State Food and Drug Administration, boric acid, borate and tetraborate were also listed as prohibited ingredients.
La Mer, Armani, Versace, NARS, and Shu Uemura made the list
ACCORDING TO CONSUMER REPORTS, MANUFACTURERS SUCH AS MAMEED, TALIKA DANIELLE ROCHES, AND KAO (TAIWAN) CO., LTD. HAVE BEEN ON THE LIST RELATIVELY OFTEN, WITH 30 BATCHES, 8 BATCHES, AND 8 BATCHES OF UNALLOWED ENTRY RESPECTIVELY.
In addition, among the 193 batches of imported cosmetics intercepted from 2021 to 2023, there are many well-known brands involved, such as Versace, Kao, Huayin, Anessa, Sumi 37°, NARS, Armani, Shu Uemura, La Roche-Posay, Dove, Biore, Kiehl's, Fresh Silk, Seba, Kose, Kerun, Lion, Decorté, L'Occitane, La Mer, Nivea, etc., which will not be repeated here.
These cosmetics that were not allowed to enter the country did not meet the requirements of the national cosmetics safety standards or relevant laws and regulations during the import inspection, and have been returned or destroyed in accordance with the law.
[Special statement]: The original data used in this content are from the official website of the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China, and the data are objective and true. If the relevant sampling results are verified and confirmed by the relevant government departments to confirm that there is a change in the facts, please contact this journal in time.