US consumer products giant Procter & Gamble Company announced yesterday it would resume sales of SK-II skincare cosmetics in the Chinese mainland in the coming weeks.

The announcement was made after the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine and the Ministry of Health made a joint declaration regarding the safety of SK-II products on Monday in Beijing.

The declaration said the neodymium and chromium detected in SK-II cosmetics came from raw materials and only posed a minor hazard to consumers' health if used properly.

The declaration said Procter & Gamble affirmed that it does not add neodymium and chromium into their products in the production process and the two ingredients were brought in by raw materials.

"There has been no proved cases of health damage caused by the tiny amount of neodymium and chromium in the cosmetics so far," said the declaration.

The administration announced on September 14 that the Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau in South China's Guangdong Province had detected chromium and neodymium in nine types of SK-II cosmetics produced by Procter and Gamble (Japan).

The joint declaration affirmed the bureau's examination result.

According to China's Regulations on Hygienic Standards for Cosmetics, cosmetics should not contain chromium or neodymium.

Health experts believe chromium could cause skin diseases such as allergic dermatitis and eczema, which is very hard to cure. Neodymium can cause irritation of the eyes and mucosa. If inhaled, the substance can damage the lungs and liver.

After the incident, SK-II cosmetics counters removed the problematic products from their shelves and began to accept consumers' claims for refunds.

On September 22, Procter & Gamble suspended the sale of its SK-II skincare products in China and closed counters selling the beauty line.

"Procter & Gamble would like to thank the relevant Chinese government authorities for their responsible and prudent attitude in dealing with the situation," said Daniela Riccardi, president of Procter & Gamble Greater China.