Mixing fire and fake eyelashes could be a potentially disasterous combination, particularly for women who like to smoke while "putting on their face".

The Consumer Council warned yesterday that the glues used to apply artificial eyelashes are flammable and emit flammable fumes that could ignite when close to fire - such as a cigarette or candle.

The word of caution came after the council tested whether 25 types of glues contain formaldehyde. Only one of the glues returned a positive test, but the trace amount of the chemical - 0.04 percent of the product's total weight - was significantly lower than the safety standard of 0.2 percent.

Nonetheless, the council's publicity and community relations committee chairman, Ambrose Ho, said using such eye products involves some risk, in part because half of the samples tested did not have instructions in English or Chinese on their labels.

"Applying a glue to your eyes is, after all, a precision operation not to be taken lightly," Ho said.

The lack of instruction could lead to improper usage, which increases the risk of the glue accidentally getting into the eyes or catching fire, he said.

He added that smoking or being too close to any fire source when applying the glue is risky, as some of the products and their fumes are flammable.

Ho also urged consumers not to apply eye cosmetics while using public transportation, so as to help them avoid injuring their eyes and corneas.

And application tools with sharp edges should also be avoided, he added.

Ho advised consumers to soften the glue with eye-makeup remover or warm water before removing the artificial eyelashes or glue residue, thereby minimizing the risk of skin loosening and inadvertently peeling off the actual eyelashes.

LCD television tests

In a separate study, the council found that five out of 10 high definition LCD televisions tested failed to comply with safety standards.

The minor non-compliances included a lack of user instructions and incorrect colors of the earth conductors inside the TV sets.

These TV sets are LA26R71BA by Samsung, 26LC4R by LG, Olevia 526-B21 by Olevia, LWD260-EB by HPC and LCD-26L16 by Skyworth.

Ho advised consumers to use the main switch on TVs to turn them off, rather than leave them in standby mode when not used.

And the TV sets shouldn't be placed in areas of high humidity, dust, high temperature or in direct sunlight.

Consumers should also ensure that the mounting frame has been properly installed if their LCD TVs are fixed onto a wall.

(HK Edition 09/17/2008 page1)