Health Sciences Authority (HSA) of Singapore has alerted the public not to purchase or use five cosmetic creams which were found to contain high levels of mercury, a toxic metal and hydroquinone, a skin lightening agent.
These cosmetic products are Deeja Cosmetic Sun cream, Deeja Cosmetic Wrinkle cream, Deeja Cosmetic Dream cream, RDL Babyface Whitening Cream Night Cream 5 in 1 and RDL Face Off Fade-Out Cream Day Cream 5 in 1.
On testing, it was found that one of the products, Deeja Cosmetic Wrinkle cream was having very high levels of mercury, which exceeded the permissible limits by more than 40,000 times.
Notably, mercury is a toxic heavy metal and is prohibited for use as an ingredient in cosmetic products.
“Regular application of creams containing mercury could lead to rash, skin discolouration and blotching while long-term exposure to high levels of mercury in cosmetic products can cause serious health consequences, including damage to the kidneys, digestive and nervous systems,” warned HSA.
Another product, ‘Deeja Cosmetic Dream cream’ was found to contain hydroquinone, a potent ingredient prohibited in over the counter skincare cosmetic products. Hydroquinone is a prescription only medicine and should only be used under medical supervision.
HSA informed that the three Deeja cosmetic creams are part of the ‘Deeja Cosmetic’ box set and were sold on local online platforms. The Deeja cosmetic creams carry false claims such as “made and specially formulated from 100% natural ingredients” as they contain prohibited substances.
‘RDL Babyface Whitening Cream Night Cream 5 in 1’ and ‘RDL Face Off Fade-Out Cream Day Cream 5 in 1’ were imported by Arklife Distributors Pte Ltd and were sold in retail outlets.
HSA has directed Arklife Distributors Pte Ltd to stop the sale of the RDL creams and to recall the affected products from retail outlets.
The consumers have been alerted to stop using the five affected products immediately and consult a doctor if they experience adverse effects.
HSA has also advised consumers to exercise caution when purchasing health products online, especially from unfamiliar websites. The products could potentially be counterfeits or adulterated with undeclared potent or prohibited ingredients.
HSA has told the distributors to stop selling the creams and to recall the affected products from retail outlets.
Anyone who supplies illegal health products can be jailed for up to three years and/or fined up to SGD100,000.
Members of the public who have any information on the sale and supply of these illegal products may contact HSA's Enforcement Branch at telephone number 6866-3485 during office hours (Monday to Friday) or email: hsa_is@hsa.gov.sg.