If beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, then quality assurance of cosmetic products must also embrace the disclosure of durability information for the scrutiny of the consumer.
The Consumer Council has called on cosmetics traders to clearly label their products with such information for the safety protection of consumers.
The information should disclose (a) the manufacture date, (b) the expiry date, and (c) the period of time that a product can be used, after opening, without any harm to the consumer.
The Council observed that the practice of durability labelling varied considerably from brand to brand. Some do provide information of some sort while others may be totally without any at all.
For example, some are labelled with durability period but without manufacture date; some with manufacture date but without indication of durability period or a best before date; some with a date that leaves consumers guessing whether it is manufacture or expiry date; some with manufacture date in secret code that only the manufacturers can decode.
The situation is in part due to the fact that the great variety of cosmetic products in the Hong Kong market are imported from the European Communities, the USA and Japan where the indication of durability is not mandatory for cosmetic products with a minimum durability of more than 30 months.
Similarly, the Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance requires consumer goods to meet the "general safety requirements" but has no specific provisions requiring cosmetic products to be labelled with manufacture and expiry dates.
Cosmetic products are amongst the favourite items of purchase by visitors from the Mainland and abroad. It is, therefore, in the very own interest of the cosmetics trade to voluntarily provide more information to enhance consumer confidence in the quality assurance of the products.
The Cosmetic and Perfumery Association of Hong Kong acknowledged the difficulties in the implementation of such information disclosure but undertook to follow up and to promote the voluntary labelling of durability information.
Consumers, on the other hand, are advised to look for such information in the purchase of cosmetic products. They should also be wary of tell-tale signs of deterioration in the quality of cosmetic products: a foul odour or mouldy or ingredients disintegrated.
Sub-standard cosmetics may irritate the eyes and skin, cause itching, rashes and even contact dermatitis. Cosmetics microbiologically contaminated can result in bacterial infection leading to allergy and redness in the eyes. In the extreme cases, it may cause eye damage and affect vision.
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