Cosmetics Industry Calls for Tighter Controls on Imported and Substandard Products

The Ministry of Health revealed that 1 in 3 cosmetic products is harmful to health. Following inspections, numerous products from creams to lipsticks, face wash gels to baby powder were found to be unhealthy.

Hazardous chemicals such as mercury were even detected in these products subjected to inspection. İKMİB Chairman Murat Akyüz, noting that low-quality imported products form the basis of the problem, said "Even the best brands face this threat, purchasing products from reliable sources is of great importance."

While the global cosmetics sector is approximately EUR 300 billion in size, the domestic market size is around EUR 3 billion. The rapidly growing Turkish cosmetics sector has reached a point where it can compete with world brands in both domestic and international markets with its quality and competitive prices.

The sector, which has increased its exports by 170% over the last 10 years, exports to over 190 countries. Growing its exports at rates exceeding 10% annually, the sector continues to expand its share in the global market day by day.

However, the sector faces a major problem for which it has no solution and expects government intervention: the health hazards of imported and uncontrolled products.

Istanbul Chemical Substances and Products Exporters Association (İKMİB) Board Chairman Murat Akyüz, noting that underground production is among the most important problems the sector has been fighting for years, said: "It is very wrong to say that domestic cosmetic products are harmful while imported products are quality…

Both have their good and bad sides. Domestic producers export cosmetics to places like Germany and Italy, among the most… If domestic producers export to countries so careful about human health, then it is important to focus on reliable products rather than domestic or foreign products.

The perception that famous brands are healthy is also incorrect; the important thing is not using a product from a brand everyone knows, but finding the right product. Today, products we buy thinking they are from a very famous brand can turn out to be counterfeit. The product we use because we trust its label can threaten our health.

Heavy metals can be found in both a TRY 100 product and a TRY 1,000 product; what matters is that the analyses are conducted correctly," he said.

Emphasizing that special care must be taken particularly with sales over the internet, İKMİB Chairman Murat Akyüz warned consumers to use reliable shopping websites.

Murat Akyüz said the following about other points consumers should pay attention to: "Another important point is avoiding color as heavy metals come more with color. Lipstick can be used instead of colored lipstick.

Attention should be paid to what substances are in the product purchased. If chemicals are reduced to nanomaterials, they enter the body much faster and their effect is much stronger. It is beneficial to avoid using too many colors and overly shiny materials. The shinier a product, the more it can mean it is metallized."

Murat Akyüz, noting that the regulations concerning the cosmetics sector are very recent, said "The regulations related to this matter came into effect in the EU in 2013. Since that date, every product on shelves has a responsible company. If a user encounters any problem with a product, the company named on the product is responsible.

As İKMİB, we established the company RGS (Reach Global Services) based in Brussels. First and foremost, our company, which is responsible for products from Turkish cosmetics manufacturers, today has customers from China, the United States, and India," he said.