Our analysis shows that 36% of the chemicals are classified as low risk, 2% have unknown risk levels, 58% are medium risk, and 4% are defined as high risk. This indicates that 64% of the chemicals may pose potential health concerns.
If health issues arise, consumers typically have a clear path for resolution. For products purchased from a Danish retailer, you should start by contacting the retailer directly. If the problem remains unresolved, you can escalate it to the Danish Consumer Complaints Board (Forbrugerklagenævnet) or the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (Konkurrence- og Forbrugerstyrelsen).
However, if the product was bought on Temu, resolving these issues may follow a different process. Danish consumer protection laws may not apply, so your first point of contact will likely be Temu’s customer service. That said, each product on Temu is required to list an EU Responsible Person. This individual or entity ensures compliance with EU safety regulations and can serve as a secondary point of contact if safety concerns arise or if Temu's support is unhelpful.
While EU regulations aim to ensure that consumers have access to safe and transparent products, our analysis of the 600 cosmetics sold on Temu reveals that their ingredient listings often fall short of these transparency standards.
To sell products on the European market, cosmetics retailers must adhere to strict regulations, including:
Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR): Providing a detailed report that includes toxicological profiles and expert safety assessments for each product.
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP): Following rigorous GMP guidelines, supported by regular audits to ensure consistent product quality.
Comprehensive testing: Conducting extensive testing to guarantee product safety and effectiveness throughout its shelf life.
Full ingredient transparency: Listing all ingredients in descending order of quantity, as required by EU regulations.
EU-based responsible person: Appointing an EU Responsible Person and maintaining a complete Product Information File (PIF) for traceability and regulatory oversight.
These requirements ensure that consumers can trust the accuracy of ingredient listings and the safety of the chemicals in cosmetics purchased from European retailers.
See more about the chemicals and ingredient listings of products sold on Temu in our data visualizations, which highlight:
How we analyzed the data: We utilized the European Commission’s Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng) to identify and verify chemical names, including potential misspellings. The CAS numbers (unique identifiers for chemical substances) of these chemicals were cross-referenced against the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) database for hazard information.
To enhance our analysis, we employed the Complir engine, which uses Generative AI to describe chemicals, identify relevant legislation, assess risks based on ECHA hazard data, and justify risk ratings. This methodology ensured accurate findings despite significant data collection challenges.