Cosmetics company Pehchaolin rejects claims of illegal ingredient use

Cosmetics company Shanghai Pehchaolin Daily Chemical Co has refuted reports about the use of a prohibited ingredient after regulatory authorities said they would be looking into the issue.

Pehchaolin said on Wednesday it had updated its formula for a skin cleansing cream three years ago and the new batches did not contain the type of ingredient in question.

Pechoin, the brand marketed by the Shanghai-headquartered firm, was founded in 1931 and is one of China's earliest skincare brands.

On Tuesday, the Shanghai Drug Administration said it had opened an investigation into suspected use of the prohibited ingredient in Pehchaolin's cosmetics products.

The administration said the move came after it received a tip-off in late September.

Pehchaolin said in its statement that the ipomoea purpurea abstract in question was included in the prohibited ingredient list for cosmetic products in May 2021 by the National Medical Products Administration.

Ipomoea purpurea abstract is a kind of herbal abstract with anti-inflammation and anti-oxidant functions.

Before that, it was a legal ingredient. The company updated its formula in April 2021 and filed its new formula with the local skincare and cosmetics regulatory body.

Since then it said it had no longer used the ingredient in any type of product, and an earlier administration litigation ruling in Beijing in 2024 also certified it was not using the ingredient.