Decode a label

Safety

What to check before you buy

Cosmetics from a shop are almost always safe in normal use. The risks lie in illicit creams, “at-home” treatments and fakes. Here: red flags, a test before a new product, the rules in different countries, and when it is time to see a doctor.

Red flags

If you see one of these, stop and check.

Skin-lightening cream “from the market”

Creams that promise to lighten skin fast can contain mercury. WHO warns that mercury causes rashes and scarring and damages the nervous, digestive and immune systems. Since 2020 the Minamata Convention has banned the manufacture, import and export of cosmetics with mercury above 1 ppm; in Vietnam such creams are regularly recalled.

WHO: Mercury in skin lightening products · 03.11.2019

“Black henna”

Temporary “black henna” tattoos are usually made with PPD, a hair dye that does not belong on skin. The FDA reports skin injuries; after such a tattoo, the risk of allergy to hair dyes goes up. Real henna is reddish-brown.

FDA: Temporary tattoos, henna/mehndi and black henna · 15.10.2024

Gel polish at home

British dermatologists (BAD) call allergy to the (meth)acrylates in gel polish an epidemic and consider home kits riskier than salon ones. Such an allergy can later get in the way of dental fillings and prostheses that contain acrylates. In the EU, HEMA has been for professionals only since 2021, and the photoinitiator TPO has been banned since September 2025.

BAD: artificial nail allergy epidemic · 09.08.2018, updated 23.01.2024

Straightening with formaldehyde

Some “keratin” straightening products release formaldehyde when heated, even those labelled “formaldehyde-free”. OSHA warned salons about this back in 2011. Ask your stylist what product it is, and ask for ventilation.

OSHA: Hair smoothing products and formaldehyde · 2011

Fakes

Counterfeit cosmetics skip ingredient checks. EUIPO estimates that, because of fakes, legitimate cosmetics in the EU lose about €3 billion a year, 4.8% of sales. In Russia, check the Chestny ZNAK code (Russia’s mandatory product marking) in the app: a red status or a mismatch with the label is a reason not to buy.

EUIPO: Economic impact of counterfeiting in the clothing, cosmetics and toy sectors · 16.01.2024

Homemade sunscreen

Homemade recipes and oils never go through testing: their protection, water resistance and shelf life are unknown (AAD). In a review of recipes from social media, two-thirds gave insufficient protection.

AAD: homemade sunscreens · 02.07.2024

A test before a new product

A simple way to try a new product on yourself, following the American Academy of Dermatology method.

A small patch

Apply a little of the product to a coin-sized patch on the inside of your arm or the bend of your elbow, where clothing will not rub it off.

Twice a day for 7–10 days

Apply as usual. Leave a rinse-off product, such as a face wash, on the skin for 5 minutes or as long as the instructions say.

Watch your skin

Redness, itching or swelling: wash it off, stop using it, and see a doctor if the reaction is strong. No reaction: you can try the product. Before dyeing your hair, do the separate test in the dye’s instructions.

AAD: How to test skin care products

How it works in different countries

The same substances are regulated differently in different countries. In brief: how it works where the community lives.

Russia and the EAEU

Law
TR CU 009/2011 (EAEU technical regulation), in force since 1 July 2012: lists of banned and restricted substances, colourants, preservatives and UV filters.
Before sale
14 groups (tanning and whitening products, children’s cosmetics, hair dyes and perms, peels and others) go through state registration; everything else is declared.
Label
Information in Russian and the EAC mark. Since 28 October 2026 the banned list has 14 more substances; from 1 January 2027 the “contains formaldehyde” warning is required from as little as 0.001%.
Marking
Chestny ZNAK (Russia’s mandatory product marking): perfume since 2020, cosmetics and household chemicals since 2025 (goods made earlier are sold until they expire). The app checks the code.
Treatments
Cosmetology is a licensed medical activity; injections, fillers, peels and dermabrasion are medical services.
Sources (3)

Vietnam

Law
Ministry of Health Circular 06/2011/TT-BYT under the ASEAN cosmetics agreement; since 18 August 2025 the amendments of Circular 34/2025/TT-BYT apply: ingredients in INCI and percentages for restricted substances.
Before sale
Cosmetics are notified before they go on the market: imported ones to the Drug Administration of Vietnam (DAV), locally made ones to provincial health departments.
Recalls
DAV publishes warnings and recalls. Common reasons: mercury and hydroquinone in skin-lightening creams, and fakes.
In progress
A new decree on cosmetics is still a draft (version of May 2026).
Sources (2)

European Union

Law
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009: more than 1,700 banned substances, lists of restricted substances, colourants, preservatives and UV filters; a safety assessment for every product.
Animals
Testing cosmetics on animals and selling cosmetics tested that way have been fully banned since 11 March 2013.
Allergens
Fragrance allergens are listed in the ingredients above 0.001% in leave-on and 0.01% in rinse-off products. The list has grown from 26 to 80 substances: for new products from 31 July 2026, for the whole market from 31 July 2028.
Microplastics
Since 17 October 2023, loose glitter and microbeads are banned; the transition runs until 2027 for rinse-off products, until 2029 for leave-on ones, and until 2035 for make-up, lip and nail products.
Sources (3)

United States

Law
MoCRA, since 29 December 2022: registration of facilities and products, reports of serious adverse events to the FDA within 15 business days, and the FDA’s power to order mandatory recalls.
Sun
Sunscreens are over-the-counter drugs: SPF, water resistance of 40 or 80 minutes, and a ban on the words “waterproof” and “sunblock”.
Shelf life
The law does not require an expiry date on cosmetics; the FDA gives guidance, such as 2–4 months for mascara.
Formaldehyde
The FDA has been preparing a ban on formaldehyde in hair-straightening products since 2023; as of November 2026 it is not in force.
Sources (1)

When to see a doctor

Care is looking after yourself; treatment is a doctor’s job. These are the signs to take to a dermatologist, not to a new cream.

  • swelling of the face, lips or eyes, or difficulty breathing after a product or treatment: call emergency services at once (in Russia 103 or 112)
  • a mole grows, changes colour or shape, itches or bleeds
  • a rash, itching or flaking does not go away or keeps coming back
  • a burn, blisters or patches after a treatment, the sun or a new product
  • hair falls out in clumps, or bald patches appear
  • a dark streak under a nail, or a nail lifts or changes colour
  • painful acne nodules or scarring

A dermatologist is a doctor for skin, hair and nails. AbsoHealth is about health in general: check-ups, tests and what you are entitled to free of charge under compulsory health insurance (OMS).

AbsoHealth — health in the Absolute group

Where to report a problem

Russia

Complaints about unsafe or fake goods go to Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s consumer protection authority; report a marking violation right in the Chestny ZNAK app, with photos of the product and the receipt and the shop’s address.

Rospotrebnadzor: complaints

Vietnam

The Drug Administration of Vietnam (DAV) publishes warnings and recalls of cosmetics; they are worth checking before you buy.

DAV: warnings and recalls

EU

Dangerous products found by market surveillance in EU countries are collected in the Safety Gate database; you can search it by product name.

Safety Gate

US

You can report a side effect of a cosmetic directly to the FDA; that is how problem products come to light.

FDA: report a problem with a cosmetic

Sources (4)