Why is whitening ingredient 377 banned and a large number of products containing ingredient 377 removed from the shelves

Last year, the event of "377 being removed from the shelves" was heated. Many brands began to remove their products containing 377 ingredients from the shelves, and a large number of clearance treatments were carried out. Many consumers really mistakenly believed that the whitening ingredient 377 was banned, including many manufacturers. Because the state issued a series of policies on 377, many products applying for 377 could not pass the examination. Today, let's talk about the story behind 377.

What is 377?

377 is a very popular whitening ingredient in China. Its Chinese name is phenylethyl resorcinol, which is commonly known as Xinfu white 377, or symwhite37. The reason why it is very good is that this ingredient is one of the only new raw materials that SFDA in China has applied for and passed as a new raw material. Not only that, the whitening test data of symwhite377 is also very good-looking. Symwhite377 is one of the tyrosinase inhibitors with the highest activity reported, 22 times that of kojic acid; Symwhite377 effectively inhibited the melanin synthesis activity of b16v cells, 210 times that of kojic acid. It can improve uneven skin tone and reduce skin coloration caused by ultraviolet radiation. At the same time, symwhite 377 is an excellent antioxidant and has anti wrinkle ability. As an ingredient of skin care products, it can whiten and lighten spots, and can also be used as an antioxidant.

Why is 377 disabled?

In fact, 377 is not banned, but the State Food and Drug Administration will strictly control it. 377 contains whitening characteristics and needs to be strictly filed before it can be put on the shelf. This cycle is relatively long. Brands with 377 that were not filed before need to be removed from the shelf and re filed. In short, there is no problem with 377 ingredients, but the control will be more strict and standardized.

According to articles 1, 4 and 16 of the regulations on the supervision and administration of cosmetics issued by the State Drug Administration in 2020:

Cosmetics produced and operated in China are divided into special cosmetics and ordinary cosmetics.

Cosmetics used for hair dyeing, perm, freckle whitening, sunscreen and hair loss prevention, as well as cosmetics that claim new efficacy, are special cosmetics.

Cosmetics other than special cosmetics are ordinary cosmetics.

Because 377 contains whitening features, it needs to hold a "whitening special certificate". The so-called "whitening special certificate" is the entry threshold for cosmetics to claim "freckle whitening". But this certificate is not so easy to obtain. Its application time is about 18 months, and the cost is close to 20W, which is too high for many brands. In addition, many small brands can't afford to wait for such a long time. Maybe they have to wait for the certificate, and the outlet of the market has passed

On the other hand, even if the enterprise has obtained the "whitening special certificate" and added 377, the product may not have whitening effect. Because at that time, "whitening special certificate" was only responsible for safety, and there was no requirement for the content of 377. As long as you added this ingredient, there was no hard and fast requirement for how much to add. Many businesses are playing the edge ball in this way. The concentration of 377 is generally 0.2% ~ 0.5% in order to whiten. These businesses may only add 0.001% and make a lot of publicity. Obviously, it has no effect, but because it is sold so expensive with a certificate, it is simply a pit.

In short, there is no problem with the 377 ingredient itself, but there are clear specifications for the products containing the 377 ingredient:

1. As long as 377 is added to the product, you must apply for "whitening special certificate";

2. 377 is 0.5%;

3. Although the lower limit of concentration is not specified, it is also clear that human efficacy experimental data must be provided, and the authenticity, scientificity and reliability of the experimental data must be responsible.

The most important thing for whitening products is to consider safety.

Why are large quantities of products containing 377 removed from the shelves?

Because in the past, many companies (even many large international manufacturers) filed products containing 377 as ordinary cosmetics, and updated their registration information after the products gained a certain reputation and the funds were recovered. While running the sales volume, we act according to the regulatory requirements. If the sales volume of the product is not good, cut it directly. When the products are gone, there is no need to spend money on human testing. Can this reasonably avoid the regulations? In fact, survival is the last word. They can claim to be "light essence" or "brighten skin color". If they insist on violating the rules, the regulatory authorities will also give them a blow.

Therefore, the reason why the products are removed from the shelves this time is that the products do not conform to market norms, that is, they are changing concepts secretly. Many ingredient parties have long known that 377 has whitening effects, and manufacturers of course know that it is only because the review time is too long and the cost is too large. It also needs to provide test effect data, and it needs to be safe and effective, so that a large number of 377 products will be removed from the shelves.

It can be seen that there are many unsafe hidden dangers in the cosmetics we use. One standard allows so many manufacturers to clear the warehouse and remove the products from the shelves. However, the specifications of the food and drug administration have become more and more perfect. Last year, the specifications of ingredient concentration from large to small were standardized, and there is no need to find a 0.01% dividing line any more.

In short, the removal of 377 products from the shelves this time is due to the manufacturer's problems and has nothing to do with the 377 ingredients themselves. The whitening effect of 377 is still affirmed, and it is also the strongest antioxidant that inhibits tyrosinase activity. Therefore, 377 is not prohibited. It will be safer and more effective to use 377 products in the future.