SINGAPORE - The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) has found that nail care products here are safe, but most lack a mandatory ingredients list.
In a statement on Monday (July 20), Case said it tested 30 nail polish and nail polish remover products following a similar one in Hong Kong that showed that four samples contained benzene, a carcinogen that can potentially cause leukemia in the long term.
Benzene was not found in the products that were tested. None of the products contained toluene levels of more than 25 per cent, the maximum permitted amount in cosmetic products here. Toleuene is also a toxic chemical that is widely used as industrial feedstock and as a solvent.
Case conducted the test in March this year, and obtained the samples from retail stores.
While the products were found to be safe, Case said that 10 out of 15 nail polish samples and two out of 15 nail polish remover samples did not display ingredients in English.
Case reminded distributors to adhere to the Health Products (Cosmetic Products - Asean Cosmetics Directive) Regulations 2007, and advised consumers to stay updated on advisories and alerts regarding cosmetic products.
