It's once again the same old story of Thai consumers being duped by false skincare promises. But the ongoing scandal that centres on cosmetics and weight-loss products produced by Magic Skin Co looks rather like one of the biggest shames of the industry.
Over 260 Magic Skin products sold under different trade names including Mezzo, Fern Shinobi, Apple Slim, Slim Milk, Fern Cleo, Snow Milk and Treechada were seized late last month and found to be of poor standard. They either carried a fake Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certificate or the wrong type of FDA certificate. Mezzo claimed to contain sheep placenta for brighter facial skin, and was actually found to be handmade from mere soy beans. Slim Milk which was advertised as containing Malabar tamarind and cactus extracts for weight loss was in fact made from powdered milk with fragrance additives. Celebrities who endorsed these products through their online reviews have been summoned for interrogation and investigation.
Adding to such a cosmetic chaos just last week was yet another weight-loss drug called Lyn whose marketing strategy was to use doctors, nurses and other healthcare personnel instead of celebrities to endorse their products through photos and messages posted on social networks. Lyn was found to contain two dangerous chemicals and has been linked to four deaths.
Amid all these muddles, consumers are mostly left with their heads spinning because the products do have an FDA logo, meaning they are supposed to be certified to a certain extent. So when certification no longer spells safety, the public are left in the lurch.
Saree Ongsomwang, secretary-general of the Foundation for Consumers, said when it comes to cosmetics, a certification by Thailand's FDA is not always a guarantee of quality.
"Most people think an FDA logo on skincare products is synonymous with safety. That's not necessarily true," commented Saree in an interview with Life.
Thailand's FDA has implemented different certification and advertising control approaches for different types of products, explained Assoc Prof Nopadon Noppakun, dermatologist and special lecturer at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Medicine. For drugs, the pre-production certification protocol is most strict with various requirements like research result presentation, a comparison of drug versus placebo and so forth. The protocol is less strict with food. But for cosmetics, the rules are least stern.
"Manufacturers of skincare products are only required to declare a list of ingredients and their properties. Then they are allowed to produce and sell their goods. The FDA might do random testing later on. Manufacturers will be found guilty if their products are later found to contain or not contain ingredients as mentioned in the previously declared list. They will also be guilty if they are later found to overclaim their products," said Dr Nopadon, also former president of the Dermatological Society of Thailand.
Dr Nopadon echoed Saree's viewpoint that the FDA logo or registration number does not suggest 100% safety. "The logo can be counterfeit. And there are various scenarios when it comes to what manufacturers could do. They might make fake registration numbers to fool people, overclaim their stuff or even not have their products registered at all. So consumers are encouraged to check from the FDA website or call the FDA directly to check if they are in doubt."
The FDA learned its lesson though. After being heavily criticised for loose certification protocol in the wake of Magic Skin and Lyn scandals, the FDA decided to overhaul the way they work. Last week, FDA secretary-general Dr Wanchai Sattayawuthipong said in a press conference that the FDA will check all domestic cosmetics factories to ensure they make safe and legal cosmetics before -- not after -- allowing manufacturers to start their production. The FDA's automatic e-Submission system has been revoked since last September. From now, all certification requests will be screened more carefully. All these new regulations will be effective next month.
That is, however, only the more watchful protection protocol from the side of the lawkeeper. For reviewers and endorsers, checking and understanding the product is extremely crucial because reviews can be regarded as part of advertising, said Saree.
"Reviewers must not review anything they do not actually use," advised the secretary-general of the Foundation for Consumers. "In some other countries like the United States, people will be allowed to review a product only if they use it for at least six months. Celebrity reviewers and endorsers must also understand advertising principles for cosmetics too.
"Basic regulations include no lies, no overclaim, no misleading messages, not claiming cosmetics as a medical treatment, not promoting sexually-enhancing effects and not saying or doing things against morals and ethics. There is no such thing, for example, as a one-off pill that slims down the legs. Reviewers and endorsers should frown upon it if they come across such a product. They can't just say that they were paid to do a review and that they too were fooled. They must understand the law."
"Personally I also think celebrities who reviewed the Magic Skin products must be responsible too," commented Dr Nopadon. "They make us believe that a product is good and when it turns out that it is not as good and that they do not even use it themselves, they must be responsible."
Now back to end-users. Always give a second thought to things that sound suspicious. Many weird or exotic ingredients like salmon sperm, animal placenta or starfish extract, for instance, have no scientific studies to back up their efficacy so if consumers are to use them, think twice.
"Substandard cosmetics are likely to be made with an untested formula," said Dr Nopadon. "They might contain too much of something, especially hazardous chemicals such as [skin-lightening chemical] hydroquinone which is banned by Thailand's FDA and must be used under doctor's prescription only. So these unregulated, untested skincare products might end up harming the skin, not to mention causing allergic reactions. So the best way to go if you are unsure of a product you buy is to start off with a small amount of it on your arms or legs, not on the face, and see for a few days if you are allergic to it or if it leads to any unwanted side effects.
"But the safest way is to make a purchase from a trusted source. Otherwise you use it at your own risk," the dermatologist advised.
Cosmetics seized from a factory in Samut Sakhon's Krathum Baen district that was raided late last month and found to manufacture substandard Magic Skin products. Photos: Pornprom Satrabhaya
Over 60,000 boxes of Lyn weight-loss capsules worth a total of around 24 million baht were seized by the Consumer Protection Police Division and found to contain two dangerous banned chemicals, sibutramine, an appetite suppressant, and bisacodyl, a type of laxative. Photo: Apichit Jinakul
To prevent all these unforeseeable perils, Saree suggested that consumers should also be mindful of their own choices.
"Product reviewers cannot always be trusted. Consumers should do their own checking if they come across something doubtful. Be they medicines, supplements or cosmetics, consumers should only use them in moderation. Of course end-users should not be blamed amid this Magic Skin saga but after all, more consumer awareness must be created. Consumers must make a sensible decision."
A list of banned cosmetics and skincare products as well as other useful safety information is available at tumdee.org/alert.
