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DEALERS must notify the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) before importing or selling any cosmetic product, including nail polish, as stipulated under the Asean Cosmetic Directive (ACD).
A HSA spokesman told The New Paper yesterday that it is looking into this case of imitation nail polish and will take appropriate enforcement action where applicable.
So far, HSA has not found any nail polish product in Singapore that contains prohibited ingredients or ingredients used beyond the permissible requirements under the ACD, said the spokesman.
Such ingredients include dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde and toluene. DBP is banned under the ACD. The chemical is used in some nail polish to prevent it from cracking.
It can cause hormonal imbalance if it stays on the nails and enters the body through skin and vapour inhalation.
Formaldehyde is allowed here and may be used in very low concentration as a preservative to prevent micro-organisms from growing in the product and to harden the surface of cracked nails.
Toluene can be used in nail products as a solvent to dissolve ingredients in the formula.
Under the Health Products Act, anyone dealing with unwholesome health products, which include those containing prohibited ingredients, faces a maximum fine of $50,000 and/or a jail term of two years for each offence upon conviction.
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