Indonesia’s Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) has revealed that most illegal cosmetics circulating in the country originate from China. This discovery was made during BPOM’s supervision and enforcement efforts between October and November 2024. In addition to China, products from countries such as Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and India were also identified.
BPOM Head Taruna Ikrar, speaking at a press conference in Central Jakarta on December 30, 2024, highlighted that many of the seized products contained hazardous materials. Brands flagged by BPOM include Lameila, Aichun Beauty, Wnp’l, Mila Color, 2099, Xixi, Jiopoian, SVMY, Tanako, and Anylady. These cosmetics were found to contain prohibited substances like mercury and rhodamine B dye. Other harmful ingredients discovered in some products and raw materials included hydroquinone, tretinoin, antibiotics, antifungals, and steroids.
The illegal products were often distributed to beauty clinics in Java, reaching cities like Bandung, Cimahi, Semarang, Solo, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Mojokerto, and Jember. BPOM uncovered 208 items of evidence with an estimated economic value of Rp4.59 billion. The regions with the highest circulation of these illegal cosmetics, based on economic value, were East Java (Rp1.88 billion), Central Java (Rp1.4 billion), Banten (Rp1.01 billion), and West Java (Rp4.59 billion).
In response to these findings, BPOM has committed to enhancing its supervision and enforcement efforts to combat the circulation of illegal and dangerous cosmetics. The agency plans to collaborate with other institutions and sectors to ensure stricter controls and more effective eradication of these harmful products.
