Beware of imported beauty products skipping India’s mandatory safety tests

India's drug regulator has ordered states to crack down on imported cosmetics being sold without mandatory registration and safety checks. Officials warn that such products may contain hazardous ingredients, posing serious health risks to consumers while undermining legitimate importers who follow regulatory norms.

Hyderabad: The next time you reach for that attractively packaged foreign serum, imported sunscreen, or trendy cosmetic product, you might want to pause and check the label. There is every possibility that the fancy imported skin care product, which has attracted your attention, might be bypassing mandatory safety checks, thus putting you at risk.

A significant number of imported beauty products currently circulating in local shops in Hyderabad and online stores across the country are being sold illegally, without passing mandatory government safety checks.

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The warning has come directly from the country’s top drug regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), which has directed state-level Drug Control Administrations (DCA), including Telangana, to start cracking the whip on such unsafe practices.

A majority of the foreign cosmetics bypass India’s legal registration process; they skip crucial testing for dangerous ingredients, toxic heavy metals including mercury/ lead, and unsafe preservatives.

“It has come to notice that imported cosmetics are being sold in the domestic market without a valid registration certificate. The State level regulatory agencies and zonal heads of CDSCOs must enhance surveillance on such cosmetic products,” DGCI, Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, in a notice to local DCAs, directed.

Senior officials familiar with the development have said that in the last year or so, there has been a trend of a rising number of international skincare, haircare, and makeup brands gaining entry into the retail market and even e-commerce platforms through grey market, without any kind of registration.

Such uncertified imported cosmetics pose potential health hazards like skin allergies, chemical burns, and organ toxicity from toxic ingredients, as they bypass regulatory safety checks. Such practices are also hurting legitimate importers, who invest time and money to comply with the CDSCO norms, they said.

What should customers do?

Check for import labels on the back side of the product

Legitimate products should display details of registration numbers and clear ingredient lists in English.

Be wary of high-end luxury cosmetics being offered for deep discounts

Such products could be unauthorised or counterfeit imports

Stick to reputed sellers and official brands