"Scared to Buy Directly"... Harmful Substances Detected in Ali and Temu Cosmetics and Water Play Products

Humectant Sterilizer Ingredients Found in Soap Bubbles
Swimming Tubes Contain Environmental Hormones Exceeding Standards by 295 Times

Some cosmetics and children's water play products such as tubes sold on overseas direct purchase (direct import) platforms AliExpress (Ali), Temu, and Qoo10 were found to contain harmful substances such as heavy metals and tar. Additionally, liquid toys like soap bubbles and finger paints contained humidifier disinfectant ingredients banned in South Korea.

On the 14th, the Korea Consumer Agency announced the safety verification results of 88 products including cosmetics, children's products, and motorcycle helmets sold on Ali, Temu, and Qoo10. The results showed that 27 products (30.7%), about one in three, did not meet domestic safety standards. Ali and Temu are China-based direct purchase platforms, while Qoo10 is based in Singapore.

In particular, among 10 liquid toys mainly used by children such as soap bubbles and finger paints, 3 products (30.0%) contained chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT) and methylisothiazolinone (MIT), preservatives that are prohibited for use. CMIT and MIT are toxic substances known as ingredients in humidifier disinfectants. Also,

among 9 summer water play products such as tubes, 7 (77.8%) contained phthalate plasticizers exceeding domestic safety standards, and among these, 5 products also exceeded cadmium limits. A transparent swimming tube sold on Temu contained phthalate plasticizers exceeding the standard by 295 times and cadmium exceeding the standard by 3.2 times. Phthalate plasticizers are endocrine-disrupting chemicals, so-called 'environmental hormones,' which can affect reproductive functions such as reduced sperm count or infertility, and can irritate eyes or skin upon direct contact.

Heavy metals such as lead and carcinogenic chromium were detected in color cosmetics like eyeshadow. The Consumer Agency investigated 40 types of color cosmetics directly applied to the skin, including eyeshadow, blush, and lip gloss, and found problems in 7 products (17.5%). Chromium or lead was detected in 3 eye makeup products including eyeshadow, chromium was found in 3 blush products, and tar dyes No. 2 and No. 102 were detected in 1 lip cosmetic product. Chromium is a carcinogen, and tar dyes have been confirmed in animal experiments to cause growth disorders and liver dysfunction.

The "40-color eyeshadow palette (seller: Digitaling Store)" sold on Ali contained lead exceeding the standard by 65 times, along with chromium. Among the cosmetics tested, one product had an expiration date exceeding 3 years, and three products had no expiration date indicated at all.

Motorcycle Helmets Sold on AliExpress and Qoo10 Without Shock Absorption [Image Source: Provided by Korea Consumer Agency]

Among 10 motorcycle helmets sold on Ali and Qoo10, 9 products (90.0%) failed to meet domestic shock absorption standards. In particular, 8 products were confirmed to be defective as they did not absorb shock at all. On the other hand, none of the 10 car air freshener products contained harmful substances.

The Consumer Agency stated that Ali and Temu blocked the sale of the relevant products according to a voluntary agreement, and the Qoo10 platform operator also accepted the Consumer Agency's recommendation and decided not to sell hazardous products.

Meanwhile, a recent analysis of product ingredients sold on Chinese direct purchase platforms conducted by the Korea Customs Service and Seoul City also detected a large number of harmful substances. In April, the Customs Service announced that among 252 children's products sold on C-commerce platforms (Ali, Temu, etc.), harmful substances exceeding domestic safety standards by up to 3,026 times were detected in 38 products. Among these 38 products with harmful substances, 27 contained phthalate plasticizers exceeding the standard by up to 82 times, and 5 contained lead exceeding the standard by up to 270 times. Notably, cadmium was detected in 6 products at levels up to 3,026 times the standard. Children's products containing phthalate plasticizers were most commonly shoes, school supplies, and toys, in that order.

Also, Seoul City conducted a total of 7 tests for harmful substances on 93 products sold on Ali, Temu, and SHEIN from April to May, confirming that 40 products (43%) were harmful. For products confirmed to be harmful, the city has requested domestic and international online platform companies to stop sales and block access to those products. Safety inspection results can be checked on the Seoul City website and the Seoul Electronic Commerce Center website.