33% of Cosmetic Products in ALERTS Come from Italy ! Check What You Buy ! Choose Cosmetics Wisely with InfoCons !
33% of Cosmetic Products in ALERTS Come from Italy ! Check What You Buy ! Choose Cosmetics Wisely with InfoCons !
As part of the campaign “Check What You Buy! Choose Cosmetics Wisely with InfoCons!”, InfoCons works to inform and educate consumers about the risks associated with the use of non-compliant cosmetic products identified in the European Alerts found in the InfoCons App, by promoting accurate information that is scientifically grounded and supported by the expertise of specialists in the field.
A cosmetic product can reach the Romanian market from anywhere in the world. Through the campaign “Check What You Buy! Choose Cosmetics Wisely with InfoCons!”, InfoCons analysed the origin of the cosmetic products flagged in the Alerts section of the InfoCons App.
5,035 cosmetic products were the subject of the analysis, coming from 73 different countries of origin.
Countries of origin of the cosmetic products identified in the European Alerts
In first place is Italy, with 1,661 alerts (33% of the total) – practically one in three flagged cosmetic products. It is followed by products of unknown origin (12.5%), then France (9.2%), Germany (6.4%), Spain (5.9%), the People’s Republic of China (5.6%) and Poland (5.1%).
The top 15 countries of origin of the flagged cosmetic products.
Detailed distribution for the top 15 countries of origin:
| Country of origin | No. of alerts | Share |
| Italy | 1,661 | 33.0% |
| Unknown | 630 | 12.5% |
| France | 463 | 9.2% |
| Germany | 321 | 6.4% |
| Spain | 298 | 5.9% |
| People’s Republic of China | 282 | 5.6% |
| Poland | 257 | 5.1% |
| United Kingdom | 170 | 3.4% |
| United States | 112 | 2.2% |
| United Arab Emirates | 111 | 2.2% |
| Türkiye | 110 | 2.2% |
| Netherlands | 101 | 2.0% |
| India | 63 | 1.3% |
| Côte d’Ivoire | 43 | 0.9% |
| Belgium | 34 | 0.7% |
The countries of origin of the non-compliant cosmetic products that were the subject of the alerts are:
- 33% – Italy
- 5% – Unknown
- 2% – France
- 4% – Germany
- 9% – Spain
- 6% – People’s Republic of China
- 1% – Poland
- 4% – United Kingdom
- 2% – United States
- 2% – United Arab Emirates
- 2% – Türkiye
- 2% – Netherlands
- 3% – India
- 9% – Côte d’Ivoire
- 7% – Belgium
Cosmetic products from the European Union or from outside it?
Most of the flagged products come from within the European Union – 65.1%. However, almost one in five products – 22.4% – comes from outside the EU, and for 12.5% the country of origin is unknown – a sign of weak traceability, which makes it harder to identify and withdraw the products.
Origin of the flagged cosmetic products: EU, outside the EU and unknown origin.
An important aspect for consumers: skin-whitening products containing mercury or other banned substances frequently come from outside the EU, and products of unknown origin raise additional risks, because it cannot be verified who produced or imported them.
InfoCons recommendations
To shop safely, regardless of the origin of the product, InfoCons recommends that consumers:
- Consult the Alerts section of the InfoCons App to see whether a product has already been flagged.
- Always check who the manufacturer or importer is and whether they have an address in the European Union – mandatory information on the label.
- Avoid products without information about their origin or without a label in Romanian.
- Be cautious when buying from online platforms and from sellers outside the EU, where oversight is more difficult.
Signature: InfoCons Consumer Protection Department – Cosmetic Product Alerts