Hair dye for only 1 yuan per session? Can it be used by children? The hair dye market is being messed up by exaggerated publicity
Everyone loves beauty. Whether it is the pursuit of a new hair color or the elderly dyeing their gray hair black, hair dye has become a high-frequency product in people's daily lives. Compared with hair dyeing in barber shops, which costs hundreds of yuan, "dyeing at home" seems to be more cost-effective, and online sales of hair dye have shown an upward trend in recent years.
However, an investigation by Xinhua Daily Telegraph reporters found that in sharp contrast to the rapid development of the industry, there are problems on online sales platforms such as exaggerated promotions, duplicity, and selling inferior products as high-quality ones for hair dyes that require urgent attention.
Only 1 yuan for a hair dye session? The online hair dye market is booming
“Hair dye is pure natural and contains plant ingredients, and is generally non-allergenic,” “We have all obtained special certificates for plant-based conditioning hair dyes from the Food and Drug Administration,” “It’s a two-in-one hair dye and hair care product, it dyes our hair and maintains our hair quality, the plant ingredients ginseng and Polygonum multiflorum are all the nutrients our hair needs”... The reporter randomly entered the live broadcast room of some hair dye brands, and the hosts’ recommendations made many consumers excited.
"My father placed an order for the hair dye because he saw it was very cheap. The anchor said 10 packs of hair dye cost only 11.9 yuan, and a single dyeing session cost only 1 yuan. It was also said to contain plant ingredients and could be used by the elderly, children, and breastfeeding women. But after buying it and using it once, my scalp developed severe allergies," said Ms. Zhou from Chongqing.
After more than a month of complaints and evidence, and after mediation with merchants, market supervision departments, and platforms, Ms. Zhou finally received compensation. Ms. Zhou believes that the hair dye market is now in chaos, and merchants insist that hair dyes are purely natural without informing about the risks of use. The elderly have a low ability to identify and are likely to buy problematic products.
There are thousands of complaints about hair dyes on the consumer service platform "Black Cat Complaints". Most of the complaints are related to false advertising, and some consumers have experienced symptoms such as rashes, itching, and even pus after using hair dyes purchased online.
Ms. Huang, a 24-year-old consumer from Guangzhou, experienced redness, swelling, and pus on her scalp after using the "Wen Ya Hair Dye" she bought online. Ms. Huang said: "I dyed my hair according to the hair dye instructions. After using it, I felt a little itchy that night. I thought it was a normal reaction, but the next day I felt a little uncomfortable. My scalp was itchy and burning. Soon after, my scalp started to become red and swollen, and there was a stinging sensation."
Later, Ms. Huang went to the People's Hospital of Tianhe District, Guangzhou, and was diagnosed with "contact dermatitis." "It has been two or three months now, and I have spent more than 2,000 yuan on medical expenses, but the condition has not improved. The problem has recurred, including pus discharge and bleeding in severe cases," said Ms. Huang.
At present, hair dye has become a hot item in the "beauty economy" and "silver hair economy", and the market has ushered in a period of explosive growth. Multiple market research reports show that the scale of my country's hair dye market has reached about 20 billion yuan.
According to reports, in my country, hair dyes are special cosmetics and can only be produced and imported after being registered with the State Food and Drug Administration. Common hair dyes on the market generally produce pigment macromolecules that can be fixed in the hair through oxidative polymerization reaction of dye precursors and coupling agents under the action of strong oxidants, thereby changing the color of hair.
"There are many elderly people and people with gray hair who dye their hair, and the main demand is to dye their hair black." Qiao Jianjun, director and professor of the Department of Dermatology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, said that hair dye dermatitis is very common among all types of patients seen in the daily outpatient clinic, and it is a type of contact dermatitis. The main ingredients in hair dyes, such as "resorcinol", "p-phenylenediamine" and "aminophenol", can make the color of hair dye adhere to the hair for a longer time and not be easy to wash off, but they are also strong allergens. For patients who are prone to allergies, it can cause itching, redness, and small rashes on the skin at the mildest, and blistering, skin erosion and even infection at the worst.
Randomly exaggerated publicity has caused chaos in the hair dye market
The reporter saw on major e-commerce platforms and live broadcast rooms that online shopping platforms, as important sales channels for hair dyes, are in chaos:
First, exaggerated publicity. Many anchors claim that the ingredients of hair dyes are "pure plants". At the same time, in order to prove that hair dyes have low allergenicity, many live broadcast rooms and product pages use slogans such as "suitable for pregnant women", "suitable for children", and "natural and non-irritating". "The main ingredients of hair dyes are chemical ingredients, but merchants promote trace ingredients such as Polygonum multiflorum and ginseng as the main ingredients, which is suspected of exaggeration." Qiao Jianjun said.
Chen Yinjiang, deputy secretary-general of the Consumer Protection Law Research Association of the Chinese Law Society, said that based on the scope of efficacy of children's cosmetics, hair dye does not fall within the scope of children's cosmetics, and children are not recommended to use hair dye. Some consumers do not have sufficient understanding of the specific circumstances of hair dye products and are easily misled by exaggerated propaganda and false advertising, giving unscrupulous businesses an opportunity to take advantage.
The reporter found that some hair dyes were advertised as "exclusively sold in pharmacies" to create a product image of high quality assurance. However, the reporter learned that there is no such thing as "exclusively sold in beauty salons" or "exclusively sold in pharmacies" in the hair dye category. A relevant person in charge of the Guangdong Provincial Food and Drug Administration said that there are no special laws and regulations on the sales channels for hair dyes. Whether it is cosmetics sold online or offline, the product standards implemented are the same. Cosmetics manufacturers and operators should engage in production and operation activities in accordance with laws, regulations, mandatory national standards, and technical specifications.
Second, there is inconsistency between appearance and reality, with the packaging concealing relevant ingredients, and the instructions for use and the product promotion by merchants are not standardized. According to regulations, the detected ingredients of products and product labels should be consistent with the technical requirements stated in the product registration information. The reporter saw in the notices issued by the State Food and Drug Administration in the past six months on cosmetics that did not meet the regulations that many hair dye brands failed the "ingredient comparison". For example, the product clearly contained "para-aminophenol", but it was not stated on the product label and registration information. It is reported that in the "Technical Specifications for Safety of Cosmetics", more than 70 types of approved hair dyes such as resorcinol are currently included, all of which have clear restrictions on use.
Third, many products on the market neglect to educate consumers about allergy testing. Take HUIHOO Bubble Hair Dye as an example. The reporter did not see any instructions for allergy testing on the packaging. When the reporter asked how to test for allergies in the live broadcast room, the anchor said that it was enough to apply the product on the arm and test for 20 to 40 minutes. However, the skin allergy test filled in the basic information of the domestic special cosmetics registration information on the website of the State Food and Drug Administration requires a 24-hour wait.
Experts suggest regulating the hair dye consumer market as soon as possible
Industry insiders and experts interviewed believe that the hair dye industry must not only develop "fast" but also "steadily" and that the market should be regulated as soon as possible, chaos should be rectified, and consumer rights should be protected.
Chen Yinjiang believes that the promotion of hair dye products in live broadcast rooms and social platforms must be recommended to consumers in accordance with the requirements of the Advertising Law. According to the "Technical Specifications for Safety of Cosmetics", the labels of products using hair dyes must be marked with warnings such as "hair dyes may cause severe allergic reactions" and "not suitable for consumers under 16 years old". However, many live broadcast rooms and online shopping product promotion pages have problems with excessive and exaggerated promotion. The platform should standardize the promotional content of hair dyes, including clearly listing allergenic ingredients.
Wang Guirong, CEO of Youduo Biotechnology Co., Ltd., said that the lack of a sound self-discipline mechanism in the hair dye industry and the lack of corporate integrity awareness will also exacerbate market chaos and affect the development and reputation of the entire industry. Wang Guirong suggested raising the industry entry threshold and strengthening the review and supervision of companies to ensure that only qualified companies can enter the market to produce and sell hair dye products.
Qiao Jianjun suggested that hair dyes usually contain strong allergens such as "paraphenylenediamine". Consumers should have allergy tests before using hair dye products. It is recommended to test the inside of the arm and behind the ear for 72 hours. If there is no allergic reaction such as redness, swelling, itching, etc., it can be used. If skin allergy symptoms occur after using hair dye, seek medical attention immediately.
Chen Yinjiang said that if consumers encounter problems with use, they should keep consumption screenshots and medical receipts to enhance their awareness of the safety risks of using hair dyes. At the same time, doctors and other authoritative professionals are encouraged to strengthen popular science education.
