How can we trust cleaning and cosmetic products?
Pointing out what should be considered for safe use in cleaning and cosmetic products, experts warn about reading label information, Product Tracking System (UTS) and "under the counter production" products.
Emphasizing that the labels should be carefully examined when the products of unknown brands are purchased, Asst. Prof. Prof. Salih Tuncay stated that "As end consumers, we should pay attention to the label information of the products! Company information, barcode, content information, and consumer comments about the products produced in the label information are very important and these products must be registered in the UTS -Product Tracking System."
Üsküdar University Vocational School of Health Services Food Technology Program Head Asst. Prof. Salih Tuncay shared important information about cleaning and safe use of products such as shampoo.
An idea about the quality of the products can be obtained by checking the content information
Stating that products such as cleaning (detergent) and cosmetics (shampoo) consist of many chemical components, Asst. Prof. Salih Tuncay said that "The content and concentrations of the manufacturers also differ according to the formulations. It is very difficult to identify and tell that these products are counterfeit directly. Only by checking the content information of the products can an idea about their quality be obtained."
Cleaning products are regulated by the environment and cosmetics are regulated by the Ministry of Health
Noting that the environmental impacts and safety of cleaning products are regulated by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, "Cleaning Products Regulation", Asst. Prof. Salih Tuncay continued as follows:
"The licensing, regulation and control of cosmetic products such as shampoo is regulated by the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (TITCK, Ministry of Health) with the 'Cosmetic Products Regulation'. In these regulations, 'prohibited substances, substances with restricted use and raw materials allowed to be used' are announced on the web sites of the relevant ministries with long lists."
‘These products, which are 'production under the counter, should not be trusted!
Answering the question "What should we pay attention to when purchasing these products?", Asst. Prof. Salih Tuncay stated the following:
"As end consumers, we should pay attention to the label information of the products! Company information, barcode, content information, consumer comments about the products produced in the label information are very important and these products must be registered in the UTS -Product Tracking System. Before cosmetic products are put on sale in the market, all information about the products must be recorded in the UTS. The products included in the UTS system are subjected to certain chemical, physical and microbiological tests to determine whether they are safe or not, and then they are approved to be produced. For these products, the production permits of each product can be examined by downloading the UTS application to our phones or logging in from the ministry's web pages. Products other than this (not registered with UTS) may be products called 'under the counter production' and these products should not be trusted. It is not possible to have information about its content. The use of under the counter (unregistered) products carries significant risks in terms of the environment and health, especially allergic conditions may occur and/or people may experience skin problems."
What to look for in products of unknown companies
Asst. Prof. Salih Tuncay also listed what should be considered when choosing unknown companies as follows:
"When unknown companies are preferred, label information should be checked, it should be made sure that it is allowed to be produced by the relevant ministries, it should be checked from the UTS system, the expiration date should be checked, expired products should not be used, especially perfume products (aromatic odor molecules) can be allergenic before using cosmetics and cleaning products. These products are allowed to be used in limited quantities, such products and if antimicrobial additives are used, you should pay attention to ensure that they are used within the permitted limit values, and it should be checked whether the prohibited products are on the label/ingredients.
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)