Another two well-known shampoo brands, Rejoice and Ausnow, were also reported Thursday by a Hong Kong magazine as containing dioxane-- a cancer-causing chemical-- after Bawang, a Chinese herbal shampoo, widely known for its claims to treat male baldness went under the spotlight as its products were reported to contain the same chemical.
According to a report from Next Magazine, a Hong Kong citizen brought an item of Rejoice and Ausnow to SGS Hong Kong Ltd for inspection, later finding that the item of Rejoice contained 8.8 ppm of dioxane and Ausnow 2.9 ppm.
Ausnow stated that the firm had no awareness of the chemical in their shampoo, and believed it was brought by raw materials. The firm also said it will take precautions to ensure new products are dioxane-free.
P&G's Hong Kong branch, Rejoice's owner, said that the level of the chemical in its shampoo is very little and up to standards.
The magazine had reported previously that a series of Bawang International Group's products, Chinese Herbal Essence Shampoo Series, Bawang Hair Darkening Shampoo, and Royal Wind Shampoo contained dioxane.
Bawang International strongly denied the reports saying they were "inaccurate and allegations unfounded ". The company said the shampoos contain very low traces of the substance-a common byproduct in the manufacturing process for cosmetics- and aren't hazardous, meeting safety standards set by the European Union and the US Food and Drug Administration.
"All products of the Company comply with the stringent requirements of the current legal and regulatory manufacturing standards in China and have passed all related quality-control tests," said the statement.
The company's products still remain being sold at stores. Bawang said it has submitted samples of the shampoo to third-party organizations for inspection.
Local media also reported Friday that the registered number of the approval of Bawang can not be found in the National Center for Health Inspection and Supervision. Instead it (number) was used by a brand named “Litao” and has already expired.