Hong Kong Customs alerts public to unsafe AHA exfoliating face wash gel
Hong Kong Customs today (March 6) alerted members of the public to a model of unsafe Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) exfoliating face wash gel as test results indicated that its pH value falls below the requirement specified in a safety standard, and advised people to stop using the product for safety's sake.
Customs earlier received referrals from a related organisation that a model of suspected unsafe AHA exfoliating face wash gel was being supplied on the market. Customs officers immediately conducted inspections at different districts and successfully test-purchased the product concerned for safety testing. Results from the Government Laboratory revealed that the pH value of the product concerned was 2.5, which falls below the permissible limit of 3.5 for cosmetics containing AHA as specified in the relevant safety and technical standards for cosmetics. The product was suspected to be in contravention of the Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance (CGSO).
Customs officers subsequently conducted operations and searched the retailer, wholesaler and importer involved in the case. A total of 523 bottles of suspected unsafe AHA exfoliating face wash gel were seized.
An investigation is ongoing. Customs will continue to closely monitor the market situation and step up patrols. If any violations are found, Customs will take appropriate enforcement action.
Customs reminds members of the public to observe the following safety tips when purchasing and using beauty products:
Do not buy or use beauty products of unknown composition or from doubtful sources;
Stop using the beauty products and consider seeking medical advice if feeling unwell after use; and
Purchase beauty products at reputable retail shops.
Customs is committed to the protection of consumer interests and regularly conducts spot checks and safety tests on consumer goods to ensure that they are reasonably safe for use by consumers.
Customs also reminds traders to comply with the statutory requirements of the CGSO to protect the safety of consumers. Under the CGSO, it is an offence to supply, manufacture or import into Hong Kong consumer goods unless the goods comply with the general safety requirements for consumer goods. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for one year on first conviction, and $500,000 and imprisonment for two years on subsequent conviction.
Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the CGSO to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
Hong Kong Customs alerts public to unsafe AHA exfoliating face wash gel Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Over 900 young musicians to perform at 2026 Fiesta of Music Office Bands, Choirs and Orchestras concert series
Over 900 young musicians from 17 bands, choirs and orchestras under the Music Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will present beautiful music at the 2026 Fiesta of Music Office Bands, Choirs and Orchestras concert series in April.
Marking the commencement of the Fiesta, the New Territories Youth Strings, the Island Youth Strings, the Kowloon Youth Strings and the Hong Kong Youth Strings will perform at the concert titled "Fairy Tales", to be held at 3pm on April 5 (Sunday) at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. They will perform excerpts from the familiaranimation "Frozen", arranged by Longfield; Borodin's masterpiece "Selections from Polovtsian Dances", arranged by Marani; Saint-Saëns' fantastical "Danse Macabre"; and "The Magic of Harry Potter", an arrangement of film soundtracks by Story. This concert is one of the pre-festival programmes of the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2026.
The second concert, "Faith and Love", will be held at 7.30pm on April 11 (Saturday) at the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall. The Music Office Children's Choir, the Music Office Youth Choir and the Music Office Junior Symphony Orchestra willpresent Althouse's "Cantar!", which is full of vibrant energy; the deeply moving "Come Live With Me And Be My Love" by Gilpin; Saint-Saëns' energetic "Marche Héroïque"; and the third, fifth and sixth movements of the traditional "Irish Suite" arranged by Anderson, spreading positive energy through melodious classics.
The Chinese orchestras' concert "Chinese Music Rendezvous" will be held at 7.30pm on April 18 (Saturday) at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium Arena. The Music Office Children's Chinese Orchestra, the Kowloon Youth Chinese Orchestra, the Island Youth Chinese Orchestra and the New Territories Youth Chinese Orchestra will perform the Kazakh folk song "Mayila", arranged by Alfred Wong; Lo Leung-fai's vibrant "Spring"; Kwok Hang-kei's melodious "Scenery of Dali"; and the festive and joyful "Festival at Chang'an" by Zhao Jiping and Lu Rirong. This concert is one of the programmes of the Chinese Culture Promotion Series.
TheMusic Office Youth Brass Band, the Kowloon Youth Symphonic Band and the New Territories Youth Symphonic Band will perform at the concert titled "The Looms of Winds" to be held at 3pm on April 19 (Sunday) at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium Arena. The repertoire includes "Gøta", which depicts the landscape of the arctic region; the mysterious yet majestic "Terracotta Warriors" by Watson; and mesmerising musical highlights from "Enchanted", offering a full immersion in the wonders of music to the audience.
The concert, "Melodic Splendour", featuring the Hong Kong Children's Symphonic Band, the Music Office Junior Chinese Orchestra and the Music Office Junior Symphonic Band, will be held at 3pm on April 26 (Sunday) at the Tuen Mun Town Hall Auditorium. They will presentthe magnificent piece"The Symphony of Souls"; the first, third and fourth movements of "Medley of Folk Songs from China's West - Somewhere Far Away", arranged by Gu Guanren; and the uplifting "Declaration Overture".
Tickets for the first concert are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk), and tickets for the other concerts will be available one month before the concert dates.Tickets are priced at $60, $80 and $90. For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme enquiries, please call 2796 7523 or 3842 7784 or visitwww.lcsd.gov.hk/en/mo/activities/traineesevents/musicnconcert/2026-Fiesta.html.
With "Beyond Fantasy" as this year's theme, the LCSD presents the fourth Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival. Over the years, Hong Kong pop culture has continued to evolve through music, images and text, as well as stage and cross-media creations. Shaped by the interplay of inheritance, circulation, fusion and breakthroughs, it has distilled a style that is uniquely Hong Kong. The Festival will continue to join audiences and local creators in crossing boundaries within everyday rhythms, and create warm, resonant and moving works while inspiring the limitless possibilities of pop culture.
The concert "Chinese Music Rendezvous" is one of the activities in the Chinese Culture Promotion Series. The LCSD has long been promoting Chinese history and culture through organising an array of programmes and activities to enable the public to learn more about the broad and profound Chinese culture. For more information, please visitwww.ccpo.gov.hk/en/.
The poster of the 2026 Fiesta of Music Office Bands, Choirs and Orchestras concert series in April. Photo source: lcsd.gov.hk
