'아이허브토너이물질'에 해당되는 글 2건

  1. 2015.01.27 Follow-up on Madre Labs alien substance (as of 27 Jan.) 14
  2. 2015.01.26 Suspected glass fibers detected in Madre Labs Witch Hazel Toner (iHerb) 4

 

 

 

 

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

Thank you for your email.
We are very sorry to hear that you allege that there are glass fibers in our Toner.
We can assure you that there are not glass fibers in our toner. 
Who and when did you contact iHerb as we have not been contacted by them as of yet?

Why would you share something with many others prior to contacting us first?

 

Our Madre Labs Toner does contain Aloe and the Aloe solids do precipitate out after sitting for a long while (e.g. during shipping), but this is not glass.  Why do you assume it is glass? 
We use a significant amount of Aloe and we do not use ingredients that will ensure the Aloe solids willsty in solution as these types of ingredients are not considered ' clean/natural '.
  • Why do you assume what you are seeing is glass?
  • How would glass get into our toners?
Please get back to us at your earliest possible convenience as the info you are sharing is not accurate.
 
Thanks,
Customer Support 

 

 

 

(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 :

http://msds.tistory.com/43

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

I don't usually do this on my blog, but as I am planning to file a complaint to iHerb (or if possible, to Madre Labs the brand itself), I felt the need to list up the related facts and the photographic evidence. I already have written a more or less same posting in Korean and shared it with many others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Product in question : Madre Labs, unscented witch hazel toner

Site of purchase : iHerb.com

Date of purchase : 30 Dec. 2014 (product received on 4 or 5 Jan. 2015)

Place of residence : Seoul, Korea

 

Notes :

- I am a long-term user of Thayers Witch Hazel Rose, the alcohol-free version. I found it mild on the skin and fit for the cleansing and soothing function it claimed to perform. I just felt curious for other witch hazel products on sale in iHerb.

- My husband majored in chemical engineering (master's degree) and he currently works as a chemical product safety regulator. He also used to work in a major precision glass manufacturing company.

 

Outline of facts :

- I broke the seal of Madre Labs on 21 Jan. and wet my cotton pads with the content. But the moment I gently rubbed the pad on my cheek, the way I do with Thayers, I felt light irritations similar to burns and scratches.

- The product also had an unexpected smell, sort of a mixture of hay, plastic and petroleum. (I am aware that the term "unscented" does not mean that it has "absolutely no smell" but the thing is that I found the smell highly disturbing and possibly headache-provoking as well.)

- My husband found no apparent problems in terms of physical formulation, at least based on the ingredient indication on the bottle. But he did point out that there were "unexplained" fiber-looking substances in the liquid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

He placed the bottle upside down and left it for a while until the substances sank down to the bottleneck. He then quickly drained out a cupful of the liquid, the fiber-looking substance with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using tweezers, he scooped out the substance and placed it on clean, black paper box for clear visibility.

 

 

 

 

 

 

He also collected some of the amount in a plastic bag, which he said he would take to his lab and analyze, should he find the time.

 

 

 

 

Preliminary observation :

- Particles are sharp, crystal-shaped, and break easily under soft pressure.

- Particles look closest to glass fibers, which should not exist in the formula according to the ingredients list.

- If confirmed to be glass fibers indeed, these particles woud break down into micro units that may penetrate into the skin without the user's knowing and cause irritation.

 

In-depth observation :

- Particles look close enough to glass fibers, but further confirmation needed. What is sure is that they are inorganic fibers that are highly likely to be glass fibers. (thus nothing like solidified herb extracts, which the brand may say they are.)

- Given formulation may not have produced such particles. Suspected cause is the inside material and status of the water purification system, used to refine the ingredient water.

- The existence of the disputed particles probably differs on the production batch, meaning that the batch using the upper part of the purified water may be clear, whereas the batch using the sunken part of it may be so contaminated.

- The unpleasant smell, too, may possibly be the result of the abnormal chemical production.

- The recent cold weather had nothing to do with the fibers.

 

Temporary measures :

- We are keeping the product, though it seems that we have already extracted most of the suspected fibers out of the liquid. We also have the fibers kept for in-depth lab test.

- Right after I finish off, I will file a complaint to iHerb and if possible, find a way to access the brand headquarters. I'll keep the consequences posted on my blog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
 «이전 1  다음»