Cosmetic product containing poisonous substances banned

 

The cosmetic product is said to contain hydroquinone, tretinoin and betamethasone 17-valerate, which can cause adverse side effects.

PUTRAJAYA: The health ministry has banned the sale of a cosmetic product named Night Cream ForU By D Ains Beauty Empire after it was found to contain scheduled poisons, says its director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said the health ministry’s National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) detected hydroquinone, tretinoin and betamethasone 17-valerate in the product, adding that the use of products containing such substances without the supervision of health professionals can cause adverse side effects.

“Sellers and distributors of the cosmetic product should stop selling the cosmetic product immediately,” he said in a statement.

Noor Hisham said the sale and distribution of the cosmetic product violated the Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984.

He explained that, when applied to the skin, hydroquinone can cause redness, discomfort, unwanted skin colour changes, hypersensitivity, depigmentation – which reduces the skin’s protection from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays – and increases the risk of skin cancer.

Meanwhile, he said the unsupervised use of tretinoin could cause the affected area to become red, uncomfortable, sore, flaky and hypersensitive to sunlight.

He added that betamethasone 17-Valerate can cause the skin to become thin and irritable, cause changes to skin pigments, and has a higher risk of being absorbed into the blood system, which will lead to harmful effects.

“Members of the public who use the cosmetic product are advised to stop immediately and seek help from health professionals if they experience any discomfort or adverse effects,” he said.

Consumers are also advised to check the status of cosmetic products at NPRA’s website at www.npra.gov.my or via the NPRA Product Status application which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. - FMT