2012-05-31 22:37
Johannesburg – Illegally imported cosmetics containing banned substances were seized by the eThekwini municipality’s health unit on Thursday.
Municipal spokesperson Thabo Mofokeng said the cosmetics were banned under the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act.
“It is illegal to sell or manufacture or import for sale any cosmetic product that contain hydroquinone and its monobenzyl, monoethyl and monomethyl ethers,” Mofokeng said in a statement.
“Such cosmetics are used to lighten skin and contain substances which can burn the skin and cause irreparable damage.”
Mofokeng said the products were seized from general retail businesses and street traders in the Tongaat and Verulam areas.
“Manufacture and sale of cosmetics containing hydroquinone have been banned for many years due to the potentially serious health risks associated with its use,” he said.
“It appears that these cosmetics have been illegally imported into the country from various countries which include India, the Democratic Republic of Congo, England and Cote d’Ivoire.”
Side effects of using the products included the skin crusting or flaking, redness and itching, and more severe reactions including chest pains, difficulty breathing and swelling of the skin.
– SAPA
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