With intensified inspections by the authorities, beauty salons across the country have become more cautious about the quality of products and services.
Beauty salons have started to take extra care in complying with the expiry dates and standards of products being used especially for skin and hair care, according to industry sources.
Inspections at beauty salons have been conducted by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce as well as by the municipalities.
Several beauty salon managers and staff, The Peninsula spoke to, said that detailed inspections are held by different teams of inspectors as often as once a week.
The Ministry of Economy and Commerce recently issued a circular to managers of barber shops and beauty salons banning the use of substandard products in line with Law No. 8 of 2008 on consumer protection.
The Ministry asked outlets to strictly comply with the law, which prohibits the sale, display, promotion and use of products with lower standards, fake and expired. Barber shops and beauty salons have also been instructed to avoid display of false or misleading product descriptions and advertisements, as its banned by the law.
“Inspections are very strict and we are extra careful with the products, expiry dates and cleanliness of the salon. Sometimes one team of inspectors will come in the morning and if they find that a more detailed inspection is needed, another team will follow within one hour time. It’s actually good on us, as it prevents from any negative impact on the clients, which could bring trouble, ” said manageress of a beauty salon in Al Wakrah.
“Expiry date of products are taken very seriously. Usually beauty products will mention the manufacture date and the expiry period. So if a product is manufactured in 2015, the label would say it will expire in two years. We generally think the product can be used throughout 2017, but actually the inspectors will calculate the expiry date as of beginning of 2017. There are some products used for hair care, once we open the lid of the tube or container we should finish using within six months. And it’s essential to write the date we opened the lid of every product. Inspectors will be looking at all these details. Also all products should be from well recognized brands,” she added.
The Ministry of Economy and Commerce has also asked the beauty salons to inform customers about the characteristics and potential side effects of the products.
“We always make it a point to inform the nature and effects of the product to our clients because some people might have an allergy to certain products, and sometimes we do a testing to confirm that the product would not have any negative effect on the person,” said Sheela, who runs a chain of beauty salons in Qatar.
“To comply with the requirements of the law, we do take care of everything at the salons and standards and expiry dates of the products we use,” she added.
Beauty salon mangers also say that the inspections are held in a very extensive manner and even the smallest details are taken into consideration by the inspectors.
“The efficiency and details which inspectors look at are unbelievable. They don’t just look at products only but also at the condition of the salon, staff and equipment. Even a small bit of dust or a crack on the floor tile would bring trouble to us,” said the manager of a beauty salon in New Salata area.
“The inspectors will hold hair brushes upside down to check if it’s clean; they look at combs, scissors, sterilizers, wash basins and everything in detail,” she added.
The ministry had warned the salons that any violation of the consumer protection law could result in fines and even a closure of the erring outlet.
