Various unregistered BPOM cosmetics found to contain carcinogens in Indonesia

Recently Indonesian social media platforms appeared to discuss the list of foreign-made cosmetics containing carcinogens, which are substances that are harmful to the body because they trigger the growth of cancer cells. A TikTok user posted a video of a list of cosmetics containing dangerous ingredients, claiming that it was Chinese cosmetics containing carcinogens and asking people to throw it away/don't buy it because it contains cancer-causing heavy metals!The products listed in the video include several cosmetics from China. The Public Relations Coordinator of the Indonesian Food and Drug Regulatory Agency (BPOM RI) said that the department has not yet confirmed whether the cosmetic products from China mentioned in the TikTok video contain cancer-causing substances, and that the video does not indicate that the Chinese authorities have declared the information that the products contain dangerous ingredients. He said that if the Chinese authorities claim that a product contains mercury that can cause (skin) cancer, the product should not be used, however there is no statement from the Chinese authorities in the video. However, he also emphasized that cosmetic products that are not registered with BPOM cannot be used, and that the ban applies even if the cosmetic product in question has not yet been proven to contain carcinogens or dangerous ingredients. Because cosmetics distributed in Indonesia must be registered or notified to BPOM, this requirement is binding not only on foreign products but also on domestically produced cosmetics.

Meanwhile, based on a search by Indonesian media on the cekbpom.pom.go.id page, most of the brands mentioned in the list of cosmetics on the TikTok video have not yet been registered with the BPOM, the only brand that has been registered is Bobe***, but it does not contain makeup products, but rather skincare products such as cleansers, moisturizers, serums and sunscreens. To ensure that cosmetic products are safe and free from carcinogens, the public can follow the following steps: ensure that the packaging of the products used is intact and undamaged, ensure that the products have easy-to-read product labels (in Indonesian) with information about the ingredients, how to use them, and other information, ensure that the products have a distribution license from BPOM, and pay attention to the expiration date of the product on the packaging to ensure that the product you are going to use has not yet expired. Consumers can also confirm the safety of cosmetic products online through the BPOM website by following the steps below: open the website https://cekbpom.pom.go.id, you can search for products based on registration number, product name, brand, quantity and packaging, dosage form, ingredients, and registrant's name, the easiest way to search for cosmetic products is by brand, therefore selecting The easiest way to search for cosmetics is by brand, so select the "Merek" column, enter the cosmetic brand in the "Kata Kunci" column, and then click the "Cari" button. The page will display complete product data including registration number, product details and the relevant product registrant, but if the product is not yet registered, no information will be displayed on the BPOM website page. This comes after BPOM RI released a list of cosmetic products containing banned and hazardous ingredients in December last year.

Companies can contact Thousand Islands for questions about BPOM registration.