KUALA LUMPUR – The Health Ministry’s National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) has urged the public to refrain from buying and using three cosmetic products that have been found to contain scheduled poison.
Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the products are Puteri Ratu Treatment Cream and Flashh Treatment Cream, both of which contain mercury, and Flashh Night Cream, which contains hydroquinone.
“Following that, the products’ notifications have been cancelled and they are no longer allowed to be sold in Malaysia,” he said in a statement today.
He advised members of the public who have been using the products to immediately stop and seek advice from health professionals if they experience any discomfort or adverse effects.
Dr Noor Hisham said mercury can be absorbed into the body and cause damage to the kidneys and nervous system, as well as disrupt brain development of young or unborn children, besides causing rashes, irritation, and other changes to the skin.
Hydroquinone can cause skin redness, discomfort, skin discolouration and hypersensitivity. It can also inhibit the pigmentation process, which reduces the skin’s ability to be protected from harmful UV rays, thus increasing the risk of skin cancer.
Dr Noor Hisham also warned all sellers and distributors to stop selling the products as doing so violates the Control Of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984.
“Individuals who violate the regulations can be fined not more than RM25,000 or face a maximum of three years imprisonment, or both for the first offence, and fined not more than RM50,000 or a maximum of five years imprisonment, or both for subsequent offences.
“Companies that commit the offence can be fined up to RM50,000 the first time and RM100,000 for subsequent offences,” he added.
Consumers are encouraged to check the notification status of a cosmetic product at the NPRA’s official website www.npra.gov.my or through the NPRA Product Status app that can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. – Bernama, April 28, 2022
