FDA bans 16 imported cosmetic products

MANILA, Philippines - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday imposed a ban on 16 imported cosmetic products that are not registered with the agency but are widely sold in the market.

In FDA Advisory 2013-019, FDA acting director general Kenneth Hartigan-Go also ordered the seizure of the products, mostly from China, from “public sale or distribution.”

The banned products, according to information on their packaging, include Baiyansu Three-in-One Whitening Set, Beauty Girl Green Cucumber 6 Days Double Whitening Soft Essence Cream, Bihuayn Whitening Day Cream, Care Skin Strong Whitening and Spot Removing Package; Gakadi Freckle Removing Cream, White Advance Hydroxytyrosol L-Glutathione Whitening and Anti-Aging Cream, and Yudantang Ginseng and Green Cucumber 10 Days Whitening Speckles Removed Essence.

Also banned are Yudantang Green Olive and Papaya Natural Essence 6 Days Specific Eliminating Freckle Whitening Sun Block Cream, Yudantang Sea Pearl and Papaya 6 Days Specific Eliminating Freckle Whitening Cream, Huayuenong 12 Days Whitening and Speckle Removing Wrecking Set, Specific Eliminating Freckle Spot and Double Whitening Sun Block Cream, Yudantang 10 Days Whitening Speckles Removed Essence (with picture of cow and papaya), Zyiang Day Cream, Whitening Cream (with the rest of the label in Chinese characters), and one in gold package with label in Chinese characters and picture of red flower with three green leaves.

Go noted that these products are “unsafe and pose imminent danger or injury to consumers because there were not manufactured in compliance with the standards and requirements of the code of current Good Manufacturing Practices.”

The products may “contain levels of heavy metals like lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic, beyond the allowable limits.”

Go also cautioned that continuous use of the banned products may cause adverse or allergic reactions that can result in severe or irreversible skins problems.

“The FDA has not received an application or issued any certificate of cosmetic notification in conformance with the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive and FDA rules and regulations,” Go said.

“The public is hereby advised to use only products that are certified and acknowledged by the FDA and to carefully read the labels of cosmetic products before buying them,” he added.

“All FDA authorized cosmetic products should bear on the labels at least the following information: a) name and address of the local company, b) full ingredients listing, c) batch code and d) date of manufacture or expiration date.”

The public can verify if a cosmetic product is registered by visiting the FDA website http:/www.fda.gov.ph. Adverse reaction from using cosmetic products may be reported through email [email protected].