One in ten people are estimated to suffer with adverse reactions to cosmetics, but the Norwegian Government believes many of these incidences go unreported. In response to this, the country has now launched a new anonymous reporting system that consumers can access directly to record their experiences.
Since 2008, health professionals in Norway have been obliged to report any side effects from cosmetic products they treat, but the system only recieves around 50-100 reports each year. "The low figues are probably due to underreporting of both consumers and healthcare professionals. Until now, consumers had to contact health professionals to report their side effects, which may be perceived as cumbersome. When people themselves can register effects via Altinn, we hope to lower the threshold for reporting, " said Berit Granum, a senior scientist at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Department of Food, Water and Cosmetics.
The Government hopes the new system will make it clearer which products are likely to cause side effects and the severity of the reaction each product can cause. Gramum added: "All forms of adverse effects should be reported. Even if the symptoms disappear when you stop using the product, we want people to report their experiences to us."
All the reports will be submitted to the Food Safety Authority which will determine whether or not it needs to follow up with the manufacturer or supplier.