Amal Al-Sibai Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – In their quest for beauty, women are often lured into buying cheap cosmetics with labels that imitate the authentic brand names, and a range of concoctions that promise fair, glowing, blemish-free skin. Such products are found at every SR2 shop with negligible regulation and no health inspections on the validity or contraindications of these products. As expected, the segment of customers that fall into this trap are the adolescents who want to look good, buy make-up from their modest allowance, and cannot afford the original products that are far more expensive. Reports from local dermatologists' clinics estimate that 40 percent of women under the age of thirty use such cosmetics from unknown sources. In addition, there has been an increase in the cases of allergies that has resulted from the use of cheap beauty creams, lotions, powders, and foundation. Countless women affected by their experimentation with such products have ended up in the doctor's office. The reasons why sales of these products are on the rise is because the discount shops offering cheap cosmetics are widespread and found in almost every neighborhood. Most women are unaware that some of the ingredients in these products are potentially carcinogenic and in fact reverse what the user hopes to accomplish: smooth skin, beauty, and more. Dr. Mansour Tobaiqy, consultant pharmacist, and head of the Drug and Information Center, and director of Patient Safety at the Maternity and Children's Hospital in Jeddah said: “The cosmetic products manufactured by reliable pharmaceutical companies or that have trade names with a good international reputation may cost more but their effectiveness and safety have been tested. On the other hand the cheap imitation products have unknown contents and the ingredients are not even listed. “One compound detected in these imitation cosmetics is dioxin, a potential carcinogen. Some chemicals found in these products are harmful and have caused redness and irritation of the skin, allergies, and other skin problems. Products applied on the face have even caused irritation and damage to the cornea of the eye. Hair dyes from disreputable manufacturers have caused eczema and severe hair loss.” Although dioxin is only found in small amounts in cosmetics, why take the risk? To determine the danger of exposure to this chemical, the National Toxicology Program in the United Sates conducted a study on groups of rats that were given dioxin in their drinking water at relatively high concentrations. After two years, the laboratory rats drinking the water that contained dioxin developed liver cancer and cancer inside the nose. When applied on the skin in the form of lotions and creams, dioxin can penetrate human skin and is absorbed. A whole range of products fall under the general name of cosmetics, such as: make-up, fragrances, shower gels, facial creams, skin lotions, hair care, and more and a large portion of these products are made in China. These products not only impact the economy of the professional and therapeutic skin care companies but they also threaten the health of the women in society. “I recommend women to buy aesthetic products from established brand names, to read labels, and to avoid buying cosmetics at prices of SR 2 or SR 5. Female shoppers rarely consider the potential harm of these products that they readily put on their skin,” said Tobaiqy. He called on the collaborative efforts of the city municipality, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority to curb the promotion, and marketing of cheap cosmetic products that could have detrimental effects on unsuspecting women. “These products should be recognized as illegal. Governmental health inspectors should regularly visit pharmacies and discount outlets to confiscate these products. Any store selling such potentially dangerous imitation products should be heavily fined and penalized,” added Tobaiqy.
