The violations mainly relate to the display of expired items and manipulation of cosmetic products

In a major initiative aimed at  ending malpractices at beauty centres, the Consumer Protection Department (CPD) has conducted extensive searches and seized a large quantity of expired cosmetic products, referring violations for legal action.

The campaign, which saw some 191 beauty centres being targeted within just a week, also resulted in around 50 violation reports being issued to the erring establishments.

According to a statement issued by the CPD, the violations mainly related to the display of expired items and manipulation of cosmetic products, which included providing false information about them and their origin to customers.

The CPD said it had initiated steps for legal action against the violators and referred them to  competent authorities for further proceedings, including prosecution.

The CPD has laid down a comprehensive plan to tighten its control on salons due to the increase in reported cases of violations “which put the health of consumers at various risks”.

A number of complaints have recently been voiced on the local and social media by consumers, especially regarding the “unjustifiably high” charges and “low-quality” services .

“A list of the violating centres - particularly those that manipulate information of products they use or are involved in counterfeiting - will be prepared and these establishments will be placed under constant surveillance  until they prove adequate compliance with accepted practices in the industry,” the CPD statement said.

Earlier, the Central Municipal Council (CMC) had aired concern over the rise in health and hygiene violations by various beauty centres, hair-cutting salons and massage parlours.

The causes for concern included the presence of staff with inadequate qualification, negligence of proper hygiene measures (particularly not using face masks and hand gloves) as well as the use of materials of unknown origin, claiming that these were  high-quality products.

The CMC has issued a number of recommendations which include intensifying CPD search campaigns and raising customer awareness on reporting violations .

The council has stressed that people working in such places should be certified professionals, having the required credentials approved by the authorities concerned. They should also have regular health checkups to ensure that they are free from communicable diseases.

The CPD’s comprehensive plan to maintain tight control over beauty salons in the country include increasing the number of qualified female inspectors who will have easy access to women’s-only establishments and accordingly deal with consumers’ complaints as quickly as possible.

However, due to the high demand for services offered by beauty salons, especially during occasions like festivals, the turnout of customers at these establishments continues to be high despite the commonly-reported violations.

The violations targeted by CPD include the use and storage of expired goods, use of products without informing customers properly about the ingredients, presence of counterfeit items and manipulation, including the use of cheap and low-quality materials and storing them in packages of reputable brands to lure customers.

The CPD has  urged consumers to report violations through its hotline - 8005000.