The National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) of the Ministry of Health has advised the public to avoid purchasing and using three cosmetic goods that have been discovered to contain listed poison.
List of cosmetic products that contained banned substance:
- Puteri Ratu Treatment Cream – contains mercury
- Flashh Treatment Cream – contains mercury
- Flashh Night Cream – contains hydroquinone
Following that, the products’ notifications had been cancelled and they were no longer allowed to be sold in Malaysia.
Director-General of Health Malaysia, Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah
The product consumers who have been using the goods should cease using them immediately and seek medical assistance if they suffer any discomfort.
Mercury may be absorbed into the body, causing harm to the kidneys and neurological system, as well as disrupting the development of young or unborn children’s brains, as well as producing rashes, inflammation, and other skin abnormalities.
Meanwhile, hydroquinone will trigger skin redness, irritation, discoloration, and hypersensitivity.
It can also cause depigmentation, which diminishes the skin’s capacity to protect itself from damaging UV rays, raising the risk of skin cancer.
Dr. Noor Hisham also issued a warning to all retailers and distributors, advising them to stop distributing the products since they violated the Control Of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations of 1984.
Individuals who violate the Control Of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations of 1984:
- Fined not more than RM25,000 or face a maximum of three years imprisonment, or both, for the first offence
- Fined not more than RM50,000 or a maximum of five years imprisonment, or both, for subsequent offences.
- Companies that commit the offence could be fined up to RM50,000 the first time and RM100,000 for subsequent offences
Consumers are urged to verify the status of a cosmetic product’s notice at the NPRA’s official website, www.npra.gov.my, or by downloading the “NPRA Product Status” application from the Google Play Store.