Recently, a children’s shampoo by the well-known Chinese baby brand Rabbit Mom was found to have bacterial colonies exceeding the standard by 48 times, causing great concern among parents.
According to a report from “China Consumer News” on November 24th, the results of a recent special inspection of cosmetics released by the Guangzhou Market Supervision Administration showed that out of 2066 batches of samples inspected, 40 batches did not meet the standards. One product, Beishanjian Children’s Moisturizing Lotion, exceeded the standard by 820 times, and a children’s silkworm moisturizing shampoo under the brand Rabbit Mom was also found to have bacterial colonies exceeding the standard by 48 times.
Both of these problematic products bear the exclusive mark for children’s cosmetics, the “Little Gold Shield.” Zhang Taijun, the director of Quan Zhi Research Institute, pointed out that this symbol only indicates that the product belongs to the children’s cosmetics category and does not equate to quality and safety certification approval from regulatory authorities.
On Tmall Supermarket, Beishanjian Children’s Vaseline Tea Seed Oil Moisturizing Lotion is priced at RMB 24.9 per bottle (600ml), with a total sales volume exceeding 40,000 units. The product is registered/recorded by Guangzhou Runshu Biotechnology Co., Ltd, with the same manufacturer as the production factory.
Rabbit Mom’s Children’s Silkworm Moisturizing Shampoo is priced at RMB 49 per bottle (335ml) in both Tmall Supermarket and Rabbit Mom’s official flagship store, with total sales volumes exceeding 300,000 and 100,000 units, respectively. The manufacturer of this product is Ausmei Technology (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd.
The report mentioned that children’s skin barriers are not yet fully developed, making them less tolerant to various microorganisms and harmful substances compared to adults. If skincare products with bacterial colonies exceeding the standard are used, it may lead to health issues such as skin redness, inflammation, among children.
This incident immediately raised concerns among parents about the safety of baby products.
A mother and baby parenting blogger named “Poetry in Time” said, “As a mother, choosing baby products is for peace of mind and reassurance. Children’s skin is delicate and prone to allergies. Choosing branded products with the ‘Little Gold Shield’ logo is believed to offer double assurance, but this trust has been misplaced.
“Known brands having bacterial colonies exceeding the standard by 48 times, and in some cases 820 times, is terrifying. This is not skincare, it’s like a bacterial culture dish.
“These brands have done excellent marketing, promoting themselves as mother and baby-safe, free from additives. But to have such shortcuts in production, it’s really hard for mothers to accept it… I hope regulatory authorities can be stricter, implement a ‘hit to hurt’ mechanism, eliminate companies that compromise on quality control, so that parents do not have to navigate through these anxieties themselves.”
Another mother and baby parenting blogger named “Stubborn Sister of Xiao Wantong” said, “The toothpaste used by children at home is still from this brand. Can products used by children not have issues? Can’t the most basic safety and reliability be guaranteed? Yes, profit from children’s products can exist, but at least the money we spend as parents should be reassuring. Children are still young, their immune defenses are relatively weak. I consider myself a more relaxed and carefree parent, but when it comes to safety hazards, fists are really up!”
A blogger specialized in mother and baby parenting named “Counting Worksheets” said, “Daring to deceive with products for children? A well-known baby brand found bacterial colonies exceeding the standard by 48 times, this is not skincare, it’s basically giving bacteria a ‘green light’!
“Children’s skin is already as thin as paper, with defenses at a minimum. With bacterial colonies exceeding the standard by so much, redness, inflammation are just the beginning, if it leads to an infection, who takes responsibility? What’s even more irritating is that the products involved still carry the ‘Little Gold Shield’ logo, which parents believe is a ‘child-exclusive safety guarantee,’ but it’s not a quality pass. The brand says the non-compliant batches were not released, but there were previous false advertising issues, this trust has long been shattered.”
On the afternoon of November 24th, Rabbit Mom released an explanation of the shampoo inspection on social media, stating that in April 2024, one of the brand’s shampoos (product name: Children’s silkworm moisturizing shampoo “non-press pump version”) failed the bacterial colony inspection, expressing deep apologies to consumers for the inconvenience caused.
Tianyancha shows that the affiliated company of Rabbit Mom, Hangzhou Mitu Network Technology (Group) Co., Ltd., was established in March 2020, with Han Dan as the legal representative and a registered capital of 10 million US dollars. Its business scope includes retail of computer hardware and software, auxiliary equipment, sales of needle textile products, daily necessities retail, among others.
Shareholder information indicates that the company is wholly-owned by Mit International Limited. The controlling enterprise information shows that the company controls 10 enterprises, of which 8 are in existence, including Hangzhou Children’s Time Cosmetics Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Island Starlight Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Island Star River Information Technology Co., Ltd., and others.