The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has urged consumers, salon owners and operators, and the public to use hair relaxers that are certified by UNBS and bear the UNBS Quality Mark to ensure the consumption of safe products.
In a statement, UNBS said it enforces seven standards that specify requirements for good-quality hair relaxers and hair-waving products. These include:
- US EAS 338:2013, Chemical hair relaxers and hair waving products — Specification
- US EAS 346:2013, Labelling of cosmetics — Requirements
- US EAS 377-1: 2013, Cosmetics and cosmetic products — Part 1: List of prohibited substances
- US EAS 377-2: 2013, Cosmetic and cosmetic products — Part 2: List of substances which cosmetic products must not contain except subject to the restrictions laid down
- US EAS 377-3: 2013, Cosmetics and cosmetic products — Part 3: List of colorants allowed in cosmetic products (1st Edition),
- US EAS 377-4: 2013, Cosmetics and cosmetics products — Part 4: List of preservatives allowed in cosmetic products (1st Edition)
- US EAS 377-5: 2013, Cosmetics and cosmetic products — Part 5: List of UV filters allowed in cosmetic products (1st Edition).
The above standards are meant to protect consumers and the environment against dangerous and substandard products,
“All hair relaxers locally manufactured in Uganda are certified in line with the above standards and all imported Hair relaxers are inspected through the Pre-export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) Program in their respective exporting countries before shipment to Uganda in line with the standards, which means that they are safe for consumption,” reads the UNBS statement.
The standards are also harmonized within the East African Community member states, implying that all goods locally manufactured in Uganda and certified by UNBS can be sold beyond the Ugandan borders without quality disruptions.
As of March 14, 22 brands of locally manufactured hair relaxers are certified by UNBS. Companies that make approved products include Movit, Aliyzeco, Liana Cosmetics, Mwiru Holdings, Neem, Royal Care, Salvado Cosmetics, Teman and Wispro among others.
UNBS has encouraged consumers that use hair relaxers to:
- Look out for the UNBS Quality mark when purchasing Hair relaxers. It is the only way to guarantee safety of products
- Buy from certified companies or established outlets and demand for a receipt. This makes it easier to trace the seller in case of a complaint.
- Ensure the packaging of Hair relaxers is intact and well-sealed. Do not buy/use a product whose original packaging is damaged, because you cannot guarantee safety of such a product.
- Look out for the list of ingredients used when purchasing Hair Relaxers to avoid buying products whose content you are allergic to or have been prohibited. The ingredients should be visibly displayed on the product packaging.
- Users and consumers should read and understand user information given on the product label as a quality requirement on how the product must be used.
- Look out for the Expiry date or best before date when purchasing Hair Relaxers. Avoid buying or using expired products
- Look out for the physical address and contacts of the manufacturer on the product packaging. Contacts should be visibly displayed on the product packaging for traceability in case of product complaints. Avoid buying products that are not well labelled.
- Look out for the instructions of use, storage instructions, and precautions/warnings on the Hair Relaxers and ensure they are adhered to.
- The public is encouraged report any dealers of uncertified and substandard products to UNBS using Toll Free line: 0800133133/0800233233 or WhatsApp line: 0713227580.
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