South Korea - The Korea Times

Children's cosmetics to contain fewer chemicals

By Lee Kyung-min The public remains cautious but curious about the ingredients of children’s cosmetics products, following the food and drug safety authority’s plan to allow their manufacture from this coming September.  The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) said early this year that it plans to add the category of children’s cosmetics to the recommended use for those aged 13 and below and conduct more frequent safety inspections on such products.Currently, cosmetics are grouped under 12 categories including body cleansers, makeup, hair colorants, hair-related products, nail polish, shaving-related products, lotion and deodorants. Other than products for infants aged three or below, all beauty products are intended for adults, according to the ministry.Under the plan, manufacturers of children’s products such as lotions, creams and oils are required to disclose 26 ingredients linked to allergy problems.  Manufacturers of adult products are exempt from such a requirement.Also banned from use are four ingredients including two types of red c

Jan 30, 2017

Debate heats up over silicon menstrual cups

A menstrual cupBy Park Ji-wonDebate over silicon menstrual cups, an alternative hygiene product to sanitary pads and tampons, is heating up in Korea.Although they have been banned from the market, the products have still been gaining popularity. “I wanted to try to use a menstrual cup if it’s convenient for me,” Kim Ji-won, 28, told The Korea Times.“But buying one is a hassle for me because I need to order it from an overseas shopping mall.”Kim is one of a growing number of women who use menstrual cups.Although many women in Korea don’t know about them, those who come across them pay more attention to the products. They cost between $20 and $30 each on average. Cost-effectiveness is one big advantage and they last for many years. They have been widely used in the U.S. and European countries for decades.But, the Korean government has not approved their sales. The ban in Korea stems from the fact that they’re so new. Unsure of how to categorize the products, the government simply prohibited production and sales.People buy them from ov

Jan 26, 2017

Antibiotics prescription for infants much higher in South Korea

South Korean infants are prescribed antibiotics in much higher frequency than those in other countries, the latest research report said Thursday, confirming concerns in the medical community of serious misuse that could hurt the immune system.The results show South Korean toddlers on average are prescribed antibiotics 3.41 times by the time they reach the age of two, way higher than the five other countries -- Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain and the United States -- surveyed for the report. The prescription in South Korea was 7.6 times higher than in Norway.The research was conducted jointly by a team led by professor Park Byung-joo of preventive medicine at the Seoul National University College of Medicine and the faculty of Boston Children's Hospital. The researchers took data from 7,400 children who were given antimicrobial drugs at least once in the six nations from 2008-2012.The next highest prescription rate was in Spain (1.55 times), Italy (1.5 times), the U.S. (1.06 times), Germany (1.04 times) and Norway (0.45 times).Another notable finding was that the prescription of the mos

Jan 19, 2017

Health

Children's cosmetics to contain fewer chemicals

Debate heats up over silicon menstrual cups

Antibiotics prescription for infants much higher in South Korea

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