A beauty care expert reviewed the ingredients of the makeup ordered from Temu. Although similar products could in principle be found in the EU, there are still significant risk factors associated with the products.
We ordered lipstick for 1.90 euros and mascara for 1.51 euros from the Chinese online store Temu. The products arrive packed in bags on which text is glued with a sticker.
Do not tear violently, keep out of direct sunlight and out of reach of children. The product is intended for external use only and must not come into contact with the eyeballs.
This is what it says in the Finnish user manual and warnings of the lipstick ordered from Temu, which can only be found in the product’s packaging bag.
– You have to be careful when using lipstick, smiles the PhD researcher and beauty care YAMK teacher Mila Andersen the products in their hands.
The lipstick’s own packaging contains instructions for use and a list of ingredients in English, but according to Andersén, not much else can be found there.
In the mascara’s own packaging, all the text is in Chinese, but there is a little more information on the packaging bag. The instructions for use in Finnish say that “dip an appropriate amount of this product and spread it evenly from the base of the eyelashes, so that the eyelashes become long and curly”.
The purpose of use, on the other hand, is that it is a “soft cream, rich color, naturally lengthening, difficult to smudge and firmly curled eyelashes”.
EU versus non-EU
Andersén is worried if cosmetics are ordered from outside the EU. In the EU, certain raw materials are completely prohibited in cosmetics. Some ingredients, on the other hand, are limited in terms of maximum concentration.
The concentrations are not clear from the make-up ingredient lists, but in the EU, the responsible person is responsible for ensuring that the product is safe, that the concentration limits are not exceeded and that the product does not contain prohibited substances. In addition, the responsible party guarantees that the list of ingredients can be trusted and that the packaging labels are appropriate.
Any cosmetic product can cause irritation or an allergic reaction, Andersén reminds. However, in problem situations, the lack of ingredients list complicates the situation when trying to find out if the product contains something to which the user is sensitive.
Responsibility of the importer
Although the packaging of the products ordered from Temu contains contact information for the manufacturer and the responsible party in the EU, it can be difficult for the consumer to contact the right party in the event of an accident.
Andersén reminds us that the responsibility for using cosmetics ordered from outside the EU lies mainly with the consumer himself.
If you order products for resale, the responsibility is even greater. Andersén says that at this stage the retailer is considered an importer of products in the EU.
– Then there are quite a few responsibilities. Practically the same responsibilities as a cosmetics manufacturer.
Andersén adds that you can of course also get a working product from outside the EU, but at worst the consequences can be really unpleasant.
See in the video above what kind of observations the beauty care expert made about Temu’s makeup products.