This is why you should always be cautious when buying things online.

Recently, it was reported that a sanitary pad brand, m.password, founded by Chinese e-commerce live streamer Xinba, contains high concentrations of a cancerous substance known as thiourea.

Xinba, whose real name is Xin Youzhi, has 98.8 million followers on Chinese short video app Kuaishou and is the founder of Xinxuan Group, a multi-channel network company in China’s livestream e-commerce industry. 

He created m.password in 2017 and once claimed in a live stream that 10 million users have been purchasing their products.

However, a number of long-term users have since reported developing related health issues such as cancer and pregnancy loss. So far, the reported cases include more than 112 instances of cancer, 10 cases of cervical or uterine cancer, and 35 cases of pregnancy loss, according to a Shin Min Daily News report.

According to reports, consumer-commissioned test reports revealed that multiple batches of m.password's tea-oxygen night sanitary pads, tea-oxygen day pads, and other products were found to contain extremely high levels of thiourea.

One specific product — the Sakura·Soothing sanitary pad — had a thiourea concentration as high as 16,653.4679 μg/g.

Several product lines under the brand claimed to contain tea polyphenols, which are promoted for their antioxidant effects. However, an investigation by a journalist from The Beijing News found that high concentrations of thiourea were detected in these pads.

The scandal first came to light in March this year when a whistleblower, known only as Mr Wang, received a tip-off through his independent media channel alleging that thiourea had been detected inm.password's sanitary pads.

A test report provided with the tip-off — issued by the National Paper Quality Supervision and Inspection Center — showed that one batch of m.password's tea-oxygen series sanitary pads had a thiourea content of 640.4 mg/kg.

In May, Mr. Wang exposed m.password's pads on his socials and urged consumers to submit samples for independent testing.

The results from Shanghai Fuda Testing Technology Group Co., Ltd. showed that seven out of 10 samples tested positive for thiourea.  But why was there thiourea in those pads?

Experts analysed that thiourea has typical antioxidant properties and is very cheap. Hence, it is purported that thiourea was deliberately added as a low-cost substitute for more expensive antioxidants like tea polyphenols.

Some industry insiders also disclosed that this practice is no longer a secret within the industry.

Xinba, who was previously exposed for selling fake bird nest in 2020, is fully aware that he's messed up. Again.

On Monday (Aug 18), the influencer announced that he would withdraw from the live streaming industry completely and indefinitely, claiming that it's due to a serious lung illness that doesn't allow him to continue streaming.

This is Xinba's fourth time saying he's quitting, by the way.

In April 2020, after a conflict with fellow streamer San Da Ge, both announced an "indefinite withdrawal from the internet." Then the next year, Xinba declared that he's been "defeated by capital and traffic" and announced: "I step down."

Again in 2023, he said that he "planned to gradually move behind the scenes" and in April 2024, after being banned multiple times on Chinese social media platforms, he publicly claimed he would "retire."

Seriously?

Photos: sohu, finance.ce.cn