CAP president Mohideen Kader said the government must address this issue quickly, with regulatory bodies urged to take swift action through enforcement.
His call comes after 32 samples of cosmetics and personal care products for children—hand wash, body wash, deodorants, toothpaste, mouthwash, feminine wash and baby wipes—were found with EDCs.
The tests were conducted with the assistance of the Wonjin Institute for Occupational and Environmental Health in South Korea.
The study was presented at a conference in Seoul, involving NGOs, which included groups from Malaysia.
It was discovered that Malaysia had the highest percentage of incorrect labels of ingredients among the eight participating countries, with more than half of the samples showing inaccuracies.
Parabens, a type of EDC, are commonly used in cosmetics to keep them from spoiling. They help products last longer by stopping bacteria and mould from growing.
However, some studies show they might interfere with hormones and could be harmful, possibly causing issues with fertility, birth outcomes and even cancer. They can also irritate the skin.
In a statement, Mohideen said strict enforcement of laws is needed to monitor the issue, as it involves vulnerable populations, especially women and children.
“The results revealed that there is a lack of enforcement, despite legislation, where cosmetics are concerned.
“Malaysian consumers are unaware of the extent and types of chemicals present in the cosmetics sold in the country.
“The presence of parabens in cosmetics and children’s personal care products sold in Malaysia is of grave concern as they have been identified as EDCs – chemicals that are capable of mimicking, blocking and interfering with the hormones in the body’s endocrine system,” he said.
According to CAP, 18 out of 32 samples from the study were found to contain methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, isobutylparaben or phenylparaben.
A popular brand of body wash was found to contain high levels of methylparaben, ethylparaben and propylparaben. It was also found to contain isobutylparaben and phenylparaben, which have been banned by the Asean Cosmetics Committee since 2015.
Propylparaben was found to be present in four samples of baby wipes and a sample of children’s toothpaste was found to contain butylparaben and propylparaben.
According to the Asean Cosmetic Directive, the use of propylparaben, butylparaben and their salts are allowed in cosmetics, except for leave-on products designed for application on nappy areas of children aged under three.