U.K., Nov. 4 -- UK Parliament issued the following news:
Current regulation of hair and beauty products is a "mess" for consumers, practitioners and enforcement officers, creating avoidable harms in a traditionally women-led industry that are not being prioritised by the government.
Read the report [HTML]
Safety
A new report from the Science and Technology Committee warns that whilst the cosmetics industry is a highly technical sector that uses complex chemicals, UK regulation often treats hair and beauty products as inert consumer goods.
The government's 13-year delay in regulating high-risk high-volume fillers including liquid BBLs is "unacceptable," MPs said today. Whilst the government's recent consultation on proposals to restrict some high-risk cosmetic procedures is welcome, action must follow swiftly to address ongoing harms.
Existing regulations have failed to keep up with new products such as injectables, leaving consumers without basic protections on products like fat dissolvers and skin brighteners. It warns that a new product safety framework must be brought in urgently and be capable of bringing new and emerging products within the regulatory regime as they reach the market.
There is also no regulation governing who can administer Botox, despite the product itself being prescription-only, and the committee called for mandatory national training and qualification standards.
In a sector where the majority of those involved as consumers, practitioners and scientists are women, the report found that complacency over this lack of effective science-based regulation “has roots in sexism and racism.” The committee was clear that new regulation and standards shouldn’t reduce the already limited access to business of women, and particularly women of colour, and that any training or standards must be “reasonably obtainable.”
Online marketplaces
Product safety laws have not kept pace with online marketplaces, with illegal and dangerous products now reaching UK consumers faster and in greater volumes than regulators can police, often without anyone in the UK being reliably accountable.
Although the government has legislated to give itself powers to make online marketplaces responsible for product safety, it has not yet brought in any of the necessary regulatory changes. The government should urgently bring in the changes needed to make online marketplaces responsible for the safety of the products they profit from and introduce meaningful penalties for non-compliance.
Evidence and research
While the Office for Product Safety and Standards is thorough, it is slow to respond to emerging evidence of harm. Regulatory changes relating to safety must be made more quickly and communicated in a clearer way.
The evidence base must also reflect those most exposed to potential harm, and the report warned that there is insufficient research into chemical hair relaxers and other products used primarily by Black women and girls. This may have caused avoidable harm, and MPs called for further research to close gaps in knowledge and trust.
Consumer recourse
The report concluded that "systems for reporting cosmetic harm are failing at both ends”-consumers have no clear route to raise the alarm, and under-reporting of harm means regulators operate without the evidence base they need. To remedy this, the government must establish a single, widely promoted point of contact for reporting harm, alongside routes through which consumers can seek support and redress.
Chair comment
Dame Chi Onwurah, Chair of the Science and Technology Committee, said:
"People buying products and treatments on the high street should be able to trust that these are safe, properly regulated and being provided by someone with the right training. Years of delay have left dangerous gaps in regulation and exposed people to avoidable harm. Complacency over this has clear roots in sexism and racism, with no other sector of its size having such a high proportion of female-owned businesses.
"Action, not just a consultation, is long overdue, and quick solutions must be found to regulate injectable products like fat dissolvers and skin brighteners, whilst making sure any regulation doesn’t push female-led businesses off the market.
"The cosmetics industry is a science industry, and science must be at the heart of how its regulated. This means filling gaps in research, responding more quickly when evidence of harm emerges and explaining risks clearly to the public. Consumers shouldn't pay the price for regulation that has failed to keep pace."
Further information
Inquiry: The Science and regulation of hair and beauty products and treatments
About Parliament: Select committees
Visiting Parliament: Watch committees
Image: Unsplash
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
