US consumer products giant Procter & Gamble Companyannouncedyesterday it would resume sales of SK-II skincarecosmetics in theChinese mainland in the coming weeks.
The announcement was made after the General AdministrationofQuality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine and the MinistryofHealth made a joint declaration regarding the safety ofSK-IIproducts on Monday in Beijing.
The declaration said the neodymium and chromium detected inSK-IIcosmetics came from raw materials and only posed a minorhazard toconsumers health if used properly.
The declaration said Procter & Gamble affirmed that itdoesnot add neodymium and chromium into their products intheproduction process and the two ingredients were brought in byrawmaterials.
There has been no proved cases of health damage caused bythetiny amount of neodymium and chromium in the cosmetics sofar,said the declaration.
The administration announced on Septr 14 that theEntry-ExitInspection and Quarantine Bureau in South ChinasGuangdongProvince had detected chromium and neodymium in nine typesof SK-IIcosmetics produced by Procter and Gamble (Japan).
The joint declaration affirmed the bureausexaminationresult.
According to Chinas Regulations on Hygienic StandardsforCosmetics, cosmetics should not contain chromium orneodymium.
Health experts believe chromium could cause skin diseases suchasallergic dermatitis and eczema, which is very hard tocure.Neodymium can cause irritation of the eyes and mucosa. Ifinhaled,the substance can damage the lungs and liver.
After the incident, SK-II cosmetics counters removedtheproblematic products from their shelves and began toacceptconsumers claims for refunds.
On Septr 22, Procter & Gamble suspended the sale of itsSK-IIskincare products in China and closed counters selling thebeautyline.
Procter & Gamble would like to thank the relevantChinesegovernment authorities for their responsible and prudentattitudein dealing with the situation, said Daniela Riccardi,president ofProcter & Gamble Greater China.
