Cosmetic products - report adverse effects
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You can report to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority or contact a healthcare professional who will send a report on your behalf. All reports of adverse effects when using cosmetic products are sent to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.
Why should you report adverse effects?
Surveys among consumers show that many people experience side effects of varying severity when using cosmetic products. A national register for side effects when using cosmetic products was introduced in 2008.
Cosmetic products include, among other things, skin cream, soap, shampoo, deodorant, moisturiser and toothpaste. In Norway, tattoo products and some injection products are also considered cosmetic products.
Adverse effects of using cosmetic products can range from mild irritation to severe symptoms. They can arise after first time use, or after several years of using a product. All forms of adverse effects should be reported. Even if the symptoms disappear when you stop using the product, it is important that you report the adverse effect. The more people who report the adverse effects they experience, the better the overview of which products can cause problems. This will help to make the products you buy safer.
Report by logging in to Altinn
You can report adverse effects by using the reporting form in Altinn. Even though you need a Norwegian personal identification number to log in to Altinn, this information will be removed before the report is submitted to the National Register for Adverse Effects from Cosmetic Products. Notifications cannot be traced back to the person who submitted them.
You can send in a report on your own behalf or on behalf of others.
If undesirable effects are severe or they persist, contact your doctor.
Reporting via healthcare professionals
Contact a pharmacist, doctor, dentist or nurse practitioner so that they can fill out the report on your behalf. Health professionals are required to report any suspected unwanted effects from cosmetics.
Adverse reaction reports are sent to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority for further processing.
Healthcare professionals can use reporting service Melde.no (in Norwegian, requires login with electronic ID).
Required information when reporting undesirable effects
Product information - have the product or packaging available
Since the Norwegian Food Safety Authority is dependent on receiving sufficient information about the product itself in order to be able to proceed with the processing of your report, it is an advantage if you have the product or packaging available when you fill out the form or consult a healthcare professional.
It is important that the name of the product is written as accurately as possible. State the supplier or manufacturer of the product if you know this. Provide the batch/lot number if you still have the product.
Examples of batch/lot numbers:
A good description of how long the product was used, how many times, if it has been used on earlier occasions are also useful to include in the notification.
Description of adverse effects
Try to give a good description of the reaction. A good description of the side effects and what has happened is important for the assessment of each individual report submitted to the adverse reaction registry.
Descriptons could include information about:
- what type of adverse effects occurred
- over how long period of time have you used the product before the adverse effects occured
- how long did the adverse effects persist
- how long did you use the product
- how many times was it applied
- have you used the product on previous occasions
Advice for using cosmetic products
It is virtually impossible to predict whether you will experience adverse effects when using cosmetic products, but there are some things you can do to reduce potential problems:
- Check the expiration date. Some products are not marked with an expiration date, but are marked with how long the product will last after opening. Do not use products whose expiration date or time of shelf life has expired.
- Use cosmetic products as indicated. For example, do not use hair dye products intended for hair on eyebrows or eyelashes.
- Avoid using products that contain substances you are allergic to.
- Stop using a product if you suspect that it is causing adverse effects.
- Consult a doctor if adverse effects are severe or persist.