Another potential client conversation with quite an interesting opening gambit, it’s not often but momentarily I was lost for words…
Let’s call the potential client Mr R. Sandler, (you may have guessed this isn’t his real name).
After some thought, “Professionally I am aware of the recent phenomena and more broadly I’ve advised businesses extensively on skin lightning creams, but personally it’s lost on me”…
R. Sandler, “Tell me more, I am in the process of importing some of these products from Southeast Asia”…
I went on to explain to Mr Sandler, that I’ve always been comfortable in my own skin both from a mindset perspective as well as literally.
However due to issues rooted in complex social, cultural, and historical factors generally (I stress the word generally here) people with darker skin want their skin lighter and people with lighter skin would like their skin darker (that’s another post). As a result, a mass cosmetic marketplace has developed for skin lightning creams and potions.
In more recent years the bleaching of your ‘private parts’ has become common place. This would have been unthinkable 20 years ago but social media/influencers etc have made this a buoyant market…
From a product safety perspective this causes a few problems, to lighten your skin effectively you need chemicals to aid the process. Mercury and hydroquinone are common ingredients (both are which are banned). There is a prescription only option, but these are more for blemishes/birth marks etc. Natural products are available but there are genuine concerns around both efficacy and claims made by those selling these products.
The internet and on-line marketplaces are awash with these products that are both for general skin lightning as well as intimate areas. Often they don’t declare the banned ingredients which are then detected via analysis, consumers are blissfully unaware of the ingredients they are smearing on their faces or other parts of their anatomy!…
Most of these products are imported, and it is something that is on OPSS’s radar (specifically Ports & Borders). Lastly I explained enforcement (think large seizures) is generally lead by demographics where there are large populations of the users of the goods (London, Birmingham, West Yorkshire)…
Mr Sandler, “Leave it with me, it all sounds a bit complicated”…
Me, “But we haven’t talked about Product Liability insurance”…..
No response, the zoom call was ended……………………
In a sector where your regulatory obligations are complex and you really need to know your a$$e from your elbow, getting things right from the outset is critical. If you need advice in this space reach out and we can chat…
#regulatory
#compliance
