My earlier issue-raising :
http://jamong.tistory.com/1764
My most recent updates :
http://jamong.tistory.com/1769
Here are a few updates on the alien substance found in the Alcohol-free Witch Hazel Toner, manufactured by Madre Labs and distributed by iHerb. I will first list the respective feedbacks from iHerb and Madre Labs, and then move on to the chemical analysis of the product.
(1) Feedback from iHerb, the seller :
Below is the email I received from iHerb's customer service. (I just eliminated the name of the person in charge, thought it was unnecessary in explaining the course of the matter.) They immediately apologized for the alien substance and promised to process a full refund of the corresponding item. They also requested that I contact the manufacturer for questions regarding the contents, which I did. I believe that this is a relevant and sufficient measure to be taken by the intermediary seller such as iHerb and intend to raise no further questions as long as the refund takes places properly.
*********************************
iHerb.com Customer Service
Jan 26, 13:23
Dear Valued Customer,
We apologize that you received your order with a substance that you are not aware of. We have processed a full refund for the damaged merchandise. You will receive another email confirming of the refund to your credit card. That credit will usually post to your credit card with in 2 business days. Please contact the manufacturer for any questions regarding the product or its contents.
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you.
Thank you
(2) Feedback from Madre Labs, the manufacturer :
As for Madre Labs, it seems that it will take more than a single email to straighten things out. Below is the response email from the brand's customer support. To sum it up, they claim that the substance is aloe sediment that may be caused during shipping, not glass fibers. They also strongly refute my glass fiber suspicion. I understand that such allegation is a matter of importance to the manufacturer and that they may feel the need to oppose strongly. But as long as there were circumstancial reasons for the user to feel such suspicions, I wish they had backed their claim with tangible and reliable proof. (Meaning, you might have done better vidicating yourself in details, instead of asking ME "how glass got into the product"... I have other words to describe this email but I'll save them, for objectivity's sake.) Well, I have my analysis and conclusions, which I will elaborate later on, in this posting.
***********
1/26/2015
Why would you share something with many others prior to contacting us first?
- Why do you assume what you are seeing is glass?
- How would glass get into our toners?
(3) Analysis on the suspected particles
Madre Labs was wrong in saying that the disputed substance was aloe sediment.
But so was my husband in estimating it to be glass fiber or other inorganic ceramic fiber.
(This is why I said "suspected" glass fiber and added that more in-depth lab test is needed.)
Benzoic acid crystal
That's what it turned out to be.
For more detailed chemical explanation, coming from my husband's view :
But for those who just need the gist of this all, here it is :
The substance was "Benzoic Acid," confirmed at a confidence level of 93%
This should normally not exist in the product, according to the given formula, and may have been created by a chemical change in Sodium Benzoate.
Suspected reason is the amount of Sodium Benzoate used or the temperature at which it was formulated.
Benzoic Acid may cause irritation to the human eye. There are also opinions that it may cause skin corrosion but I have hold off this part due to controversies among experts.
Advice? If you detect these fibers, do not use the corresponding product on your skin, especially near your eyes or any sensitive areas.
So, Madre Labs, the substance was not glass fiber and our preliminary suspicion was unfounded. But it was certainly not aloe precipitate, either. And it nevertheless remains that the substance may cause irritation to the human eye (and I believe, to the skin as well, but I shall leave this part out.)
The thing is, this is just a $4 product which I don't mind so much wasting. (and iHerb is offering a full refund anyway) Also, I have used it just once, and (though that one time usage was irritating to the skin) there was no actual and sustainable damage done. I'm good here. But I strongly feel against the unrestrained distribution of a product that may cause harm to many unaware customers, so I will see that corrective measures are taken.
I will get back to you via email.