The Philippines strengthens banned cosmetic ingredient list

By

Benjamin Fitzgerald

Published
May 3, 2016

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the Philippines has banned the use of cosmetic products containing five common ingredients. The chemical are deemed to be harmful to consumers, in accordance to a report made by the ASEAN Cosmetic Committee (ACC) in 2014.

The FDA said consumers should avoid using cosmetic products that contain the ingredients, which are commonly used as parabens or preservatives.

"The FDA advises the general consuming public against buying and using cosmetic products that contain any of the five identified banned ingredients," said the FDA, in a statement.

Under the ACC findings, the five banned ingredients have been identified as: isopropylparaben, isobutylparaben, benzylparaben, phenylparaben and pentylparaben.

The banned ingredients are used to inhibit or prevent microbial and fungal growth. If used as parabens, the FDA said that any of the five ingredients can be seen in the "ingredients" section of the product label.

The FDA said cosmetic retailers should not sell products containing one or more of the five banned ingredients. The FDA's Field Regulatory Operations Office (FROO) has been ordered to seize all cosmetic products found in the Philippine market containing any of the banned chemicals.

Furthermore, local government units and law enforcement are requested to monitor cosmetics for traces of the banned substances.