Illegal Cosmetic Products Still Persist

KOMPAS/DIAN DEWI PURNAMASARI

One of the shops selling cosmetic and beauty products in the Tanjung Barat area, South Jakarta, Monday (10/12/2018).

Illegal skin care products continue to circulate, despite repeated raids by the relevant authorities. More effective measures are needed to stop the distribution of these fraudulent products.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Illegal cosmetic products have been subject to inspections and raids by the authorities, but these fraudulent products remain on the market, with many shoppers becoming victims from year to year. Loopholes in supervision over the distribution of unlicensed cosmetic products need to be addressed.

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Illegal cosmetic products are easy to find, both offline and online. Some of the products contain ingredients that are harmful to human health.

Skin care creams that require a prescription are being offered online. Most of these do not list their ingredients and are not registered with the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM).

On exploring further, it turned out these products did not have a BPOM registration number.

Adisty, a beauty consumer who is also the administrator of the @Korbanskincareabal (victims of fake skin care products) account on Instagram, said the problems related to illegal cosmetic products seemed to revolve in the same circles. She has been managing the social media account since 2018 out of concern about the issue. Now with 50,000 followers, Adisty said she frequently received complaints about products that damaged the skin. On exploring further, it turned out these products did not have a BPOM registration number.

"That is the problem we are having. Wanting to have [lighter skin], these women bought products that promised instant results. More and more information are being made available about dangerous products, but many still become victims. Even those who already know about the dangers still use [unlicensed products]," she said.

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Their low prices and wide availability are among the reasons behind the women’s decision to purchase these illegal products, before they realize the products are harmful, as Eliwati (27) from Bandung, West Java has experienced.

Aspiring to have light, glowing skin, Eli searched online for a whitening cream six years ago. She settled on a facial cream priced at Rp 100,000 offered by a merchant named “medical remedies center”. The merchant claimed the cream was formulated by a pharmacist and was safe to use.

A month into using it, the skin on Eli’s face started looking irritated and burned. Over time, the skin on her nose and mouth darkened. Red spots also appeared on her cheeks. After searching for more information, Eli believed that her symptoms were of hyperpigmentation caused by steroidal ingredients in the cream she was using.

License violation

Based on BPOM data, 18 cosmetic products containing prohibited or harmful ingredients were found between July 2020 and September 2021. The harmful ingredients were predominantly hydroquinone and banned dyes, such as Merah K3 and Merah K10.

Cosmetic products containing the bleaching agent hydroquinone can cause skin irritation, reddening and burning skin, as well as ochronosis (skin discoloration), while the Merah K3 and Merah K10 dyes can cause cancer.

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The BPOM also found that 10 percent of cosmetic products were being distributed without licenses. Monitoring cosmetic advertisements showed that the number of ads that met BPOM regulations had declined from previous years. The situation had been exacerbated by the shift in online advertisements, which was believed to have given rise to prohibited products or misleading ads without industry authorization.

The figure increased to Rp 185 billion in 2019 before declining to Rp 69 billion in 2020 and then to Rp 34 billion in 2021.

BPOM cosmetics supervision director Arustiyono said illegal cosmetic products were confiscated on a yearly basis. Around Rp 128 billion worth of illegal products were seized in 2018. The figure increased to Rp 185 billion in 2019 before declining to Rp 69 billion in 2020 and then to Rp 34 billion in 2021.

RIAN SEPTIANDI

Illegal HN branded beauty products consist of toner, day cream, night cream and instructions for use.

He said the confiscated products accounted for one-tenth of the illegal products circulating in the market, worth trillions of rupiah.

Counterfeiting

Sularsi, legal complaints coordinator at the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI), said that it was crucial to address cases of illegal cosmetic products, given that skin care was a daily necessity for many people. With the high demand for skin care products, illegal products with harmful ingredients had entered the market.

According to Sularsi, illegal cosmetic products must be addressed from the root of the problem. If the root extended from overseas, as many believed, there must be a policy that limited the importation of certain cosmetic products, she said.

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She said counterfeit cosmetic products was a complicated issue, with most perpetrators being local manufacturers. Several cases in the past involved micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in residential areas in Greater Jakarta.

While sanctions against perpetrators of illegal cosmetic products were deemed ineffective in dealing with the issue, Sularsi saw urgency in focusing on preventive measures, such as through the provision of business assistance for MSMEs in the cosmetics industry to encourage the production of safe, BPOM-licensed beauty products.

Strict supervision must continue, and education on safe cosmetic products also needed to be promoted, for example through labeling standards and distribution licenses issued by BPOM.

KOMPAS/DIAN DEWI PURNAMASARI

One of the outlets that offers beauty and cosmetic products at ITC Fatmawati, South Jakarta, Monday (10/12/2018).

Indonesian Cosmetics Association (Perkosmi) chairman Sancoyo Antarikso pointed out the need to provide public education on the dangers of illegal cosmetic products, some of which contained hazardous ingredients, in order to curb the mass distribution of counterfeit products.

Perkosmi trade head Shelly Taurhesia cautioned consumers about products that promised more than what could be delivered. She said cosmetic products only helped to restore the skin’s natural condition. "It helps restore skin to how it used to be. It cannot do anymore than that," she said. (DIV/JOG/FRD/SKA/ILO)

(This article was translated by Musthofid).