Keratin Treatment Recall: A Sourcing Case for Salon Buyers

This is an analysis of a public UK product recall, not a Famo Kemei customer project. It illustrates a question that matters to every salon distributor: when a treatment is described as “professional,” what evidence shows that its actual formula is suitable for the market where it will be sold?

The Public Case

On March 19, 2026, the UK's Office for Product Safety and Standards published a recall for Nov'Max Anti Volume Keratin Hair Treatment, a professional-use hair treatment originating in Brazil. The notice identified a specific barcode and lot number. It stated that the product presented a serious chemical risk because it contained formaldehyde, which the notice said is prohibited for use in cosmetic products, and that the product did not meet Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 requirements. The local authority required a recall from end users.

The notice concerns that named product and lot. It does not establish that all keratin treatments have the same composition, that every professional straightening system is unsafe, or that Famo Kemei supplied the product. The distinction between a category label and a verified formula is the central procurement lesson.

Where a Buyer Can Lose Control

A salon brand may approve an appealing performance demonstration and packaging concept before the ingredient and market review is complete. By the time a distributor asks for final documents, labels may already be printed and training materials may describe benefits that the approved formula cannot support.

The better sequence begins with the exact intended use, target country and complete formulation. Buyers should ask who is responsible for the market-specific safety assessment, whether the ingredient list and label match the finished goods, and how lot identifiers connect cartons, invoices and downstream customers. A generic “keratin treatment” description is not enough for a purchasing decision.

A Practical Pre-Order File

For each SKU, keep the approved formula version, packaging artwork, directions for professional use, ingredient and claim review, sample approval, and the agreed document handover in one controlled file. Record the batch code visible on the product and outer carton. If any ingredient or packaging claim changes, repeat the review before placing a replenishment order.

This file is not a guarantee against every defect. It does, however, make it easier to ask the right questions before launch and to identify the affected goods if a problem emerges later. Distributors supplying several salons should also decide who receives a product-quality question and who can trace delivered lots.

How Famo Kemei Fits the Sourcing Discussion

Famo Kemei Innovation (Guangdong) Cosmetics Co., Ltd. works with overseas B2B buyers on hair-color, perm and hair-care product briefs. Brands and salon distributors can discuss product format, packaging, samples and the documents needed for their intended market. Requirements and available evidence must be confirmed for each specific project; we do not claim a regulatory status for a product solely because it belongs to a category.

Planning a treatment range? Review our professional perm products and contact our team with your target market, application protocol, expected volume and documentation checklist to discuss a suitable OEM, ODM or OBM brief.

Famo Kemei Innovation (Guangdong) Cosmetics Co., Ltd. | Tel / WeChat / WhatsApp: +86 183 4438 3713 | 2nd to 3rd Floor, Building D5-3, East of Gongye Avenue, South of Hengsi Road, Zhongqu, Qinghuayuan, Donghua Town, Yingde City, Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province, China.