At present, some children’s dressing table toys including eye shadow, blush, lipstick, nail polish, etc., are very popular in the market. The website of the State Food and Drug Administration recently released information that many of these products are actually toy products produced by toy manufacturers that are only used for dolls and other decorations, and are not managed as cosmetics. There are certain safety hazards when children misuse such toys as cosmetics.
Cosmetics and toys are two different categories of products, which are managed according to different laws and regulations, and their management measures and requirements are also different. According to the “Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Cosmetics”, cosmetics refer to the daily chemical industry that is applied to the skin, hair, nails, lips and other human surfaces by rubbing, spraying or other similar methods for the purpose of cleaning, protection, beautification and modification. product. To put it simply, the products applied to the surface of the human body are cosmetics, which should be managed in accordance with the regulations on cosmetics; products that are simply applied to toys such as dolls are not cosmetics, and should be managed in accordance with the regulations on toys or other products. If a product meets the definition of cosmetic, whether it is sold alone or in combination with other products such as toys, the product is cosmetic.
Cosmetics, as health-related products, are strictly regulated by the state. In September 2021, the State Food and Drug Administration issued the “Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Children’s Cosmetics”, which proposed stricter regulatory requirements than adult cosmetics. To produce cosmetics, a “Cosmetics Production License” shall be obtained; for the production of children’s skin care cosmetics, the environmental requirements of the production workshop shall comply with the relevant provisions of the Cosmetics Production Quality Management Standard. Cosmetics should submit product formulas, inspection reports, safety assessment materials and other technical materials as required before they go on the market, and can only be marketed after registration or filing; the formula design of children’s cosmetics should follow the principles of safety first, efficacy essential, and formula minimalism, and should Product safety evaluation is carried out through safety assessment and necessary toxicological tests.
According to the “Cosmetics Classification Rules and Classification Catalog” issued by the State Food and Drug Administration, cosmetics used by children aged 3-12 can include cosmetic modification, makeup removal and other efficacy claims, while the efficacy claims of cosmetics used by infants aged 0-3 are limited to Cleansing, moisturizing, hair care, sun protection, soothing, refreshing. That is to say, cosmetics used by infants and young children under the age of 3 do not include the category of make-up. Therefore, it is illegal if the cosmetics label claims that it can be used by infants under 3 years old.
Compared with adults, children under 12 years old (inclusive), especially infants and young children under 3 years old, have immature skin barrier function, and are more sensitive to the stimulation of foreign substances and more easily damaged. Lipstick toys, blush toys and other products produced in accordance with general toy product standards may contain substances that are not suitable for use as cosmetic raw materials, including colorants with relatively high safety risks, which may irritate children’s skin if used for children. In addition, such color cosmetics toys may have problems with excessive heavy metals, such as excessive lead. Excessive lead absorption can damage multiple systems in the body, such as affecting the intellectual development of children.