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Is natural make-up free of slavery?

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LONDON: Soaring global demand for natural beauty products could be fuelling modern-day slavery as ingredients such as cocoa, vanilla and the mineral mica are linked to child labour while cosmetic supply chains lack oversight, analysts said on Friday.


Many key components — from shea nuts to wax used as a base for mascara — are produced by smallholder farmers where the risk of labour abuse is high as governments and businesses struggle to monitor conditions, said risk analysts Verisk Maplecroft.


Cosmetics companies are benefiting from strong appetite for skincare products, after riding a make-up boom in recent years spurred by young consumers seeking to look good on social media.


While buyers clamour for make-up made with various fruit, nuts, grains and minerals, companies that increase the amount of natural ingredients in their cosmetics could be opening a “Pandora’s box of risk”, according to Britain-based Maplecroft.


“The cosmetic supply chain is extremely complex and loosely regulated,” Donna Westerman, head of consumer goods at Maplecroft, said.


“A cosmetic or lotion may have anywhere from 50 to 100 ingredients sourced from multiple countries all over the world and tracing materials to their origin is a daunting task.”


Mica, a prized mineral that puts the sparkle in make-up, has been tarnished by its connection with child and forced labour in India, yet it is still widely used by cosmetics manufacturers, Maplecroft said in a risk analysis report focusing on cosmetics.


From everyday groceries such as tea and rice to clothes and make-up produced for high-street shops, major brands face rising consumer pressure to improve safety and conditions along their supply chains, render them slavery-free, and ensure fair wages.


— Thomson Reuters Foundation


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