The Korea Consumer Agency announced on the 13th that some nail beauty adhesive products circulating in the domestic market were found to contain banned substances, leading to a sales suspension and refund measures.
As a result of testing 17 types of beauty adhesives purchased directly from overseas or manufactured or imported domestically, the Consumer Agency found two harmful substances, dichloromethane (DCM) and methyl methacrylate (MMA), in three types of direct purchase products.
Additionally, four domestically manufactured products, including Enliven Brush-On Gel Glue (manufactured by Wonjin Polymers), BB Nail Glue (Wonjin Polymers), Dona Nail Glue (Dasung T&T), and Pudding Glue Gel Type (Paran Nail), were found to contain methyl methacrylate.
Beauty adhesives are categorized as household chemical products subject to safety confirmation under the 'Act on the Safety Management of Household Chemical Products and Biocides.' Both dichloromethane and methyl methacrylate are banned substances under this law. Dichloromethane can cause severe irritation upon contact with skin or eyes, while methyl methacrylate causes mild skin irritation.
The Consumer Agency recommended that overseas online platforms block the sale of the three types of direct purchase products that violated the standards. The platform operators accepted this recommendation and suspended sales.
Additionally, one of the four domestically manufactured products is currently undergoing a recall by the Ministry of Environment, and the remaining three have had their manufacturers notified of legal violations, requiring corrective actions. The affected companies are in the process of halting sales and implementing measures such as discarding inventory and refunding consumers.
The Consumer Agency stated, "Consumers who have the problematic products can receive a refund or exchange for normal products through the respective manufacturer's customer service."