Himalaya shampoos on UAE shelves certified safe

Clarifying the issue, Himalaya's President and CEO, Shailendra Malhotra, said:

"We have been in constant touch with Dubai municipality officials on the issue and had already withdrawn any shampoo batches that may not have complied with the municipality's permissible limits of 1.4- dioxane."

He explained that 1.4- dioxane is a by-product formed during the manufacturing process of foaming agents widely used in shampoos and is present in very small traces as low as parts per million in shampoos, and many related products across the world.

He said, "It is a highly volatile substance and evaporates readily, further diminishing the already small amount available for skin absorption, even in products that remain on the skin for hours. As shampoo is a wash-off product, contact is limited to a few seconds. Hence, the possibility of this being absorbed in the skin is highly unlikely."

He pointed out, "Not even the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has recommended a limit for 1.4-dioxane in cosmetics. Studies that refer to it as a possible human carcinogen are based on oral consumption tests on rats and not for cosmetic applications."

"However, on receiving the new guidelines from the Dubai Municipality last month, we tested all our shampoo batches at Dubai Central Laboratory and only a few batches, as already informed by Dubai Municipality were above the limit. These batches were immediately withdrawn, so consumers can be fully assured that all Himalaya Shampoos available on UAE shelves comply with the Dubai Municipality requirements and are absolutely safe for use by one and all," he added.

Malhotra stressed that all Himalaya products go through rigorous quality checks to meet the stringent standards of more than 60 countries where they are sold, including the USA and European Union states, saying, "Public health and safety is our prime most concern and we always ensure our products comply with international safety norms."