Lipstick, face creams, baby powder and more... 'Operation Soundarya' is back

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health Minister Veena George announced the third phase of 'Operation Soundarya' of the State Drug Control Department to check whether fake beauty products are entering the market. Inspections were conducted in 101 institutions in the last few days.

Lipstick, face cream, baby powder, baby soap, and baby oil were mainly tested. A case has been filed against 12 firms for manufacturing and distributing cosmetic items without adequate licenses and not following the norms laid down by the Cosmetics Rules 2020. Cosmetic products worth more than Rs.1.5 lakh of substandard quality were seized. 59 samples were collected and sent for lab testing.

The minister promised strong measures according to the breaches found in the test results. Tests conducted during the first and second stages of Operation Soundarya found that the cosmetic products contained chemicals that were harmful to the body. Various cosmetic products worth over Rs 7 lakh were seized and a case was registered against 33 firms.

The lipstick and face cream samples tested on that day were found to contain more than the permissible level of mercury. These are even capable of affecting our internal organs. Following these findings, the minister has ordered officials to strengthen the inspections.

People purchasing cosmetics from shops need to ensure that they are manufactured with adequate licenses and that the address of the manufacturer is clearly mentioned.

Those who have any complaints should inform the Drug Control Department on the toll-free number 18004253182.