Products found to contain undeclared medicines
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| Singapore: HSA Alert: Three health products sold online found to contain potent undeclared ingredients; two of them had very high levels of mercury |
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The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) is alerting members of the public not to purchase or use the following health products. The products were obtained from Malaysia and sold on various online platforms. HSA tested these products and found potent undeclared ingredients that are harmful and prohibited in these products:
- ‘Herba Saraf’: found to contain dexamethasone
- ‘Wonderglow Whitening Specialist Super Ultra Glowing Cream’ cosmetic set: found to contain mercury, exceeding permissible limits by 7,000 times
- ‘Tati Skin Care 5 in 1’ cosmetic set: found to contain mercury, exceeding permissible limits by 50,000 times, hydroquinone and tretinoin
A consumer in her 40s had obtained ‘Herba Saraf’ from a relative in Malaysia who had bought it online. ‘Herba Saraf’ was labelled to contain herbal ingredients for the relief of pain such as joint pain and migraine. After taking it for more than a month for her knee pain, she was diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance (poor blood sugar control). Such a condition may increase one’s risk of diabetes and heart disease. The product was subsequently tested by HSA to contain dexamethasone, a potent steroid that is a prescription-only medicine that should only be used under medical supervision. Inappropriate and prolonged use of steroids can result in Cushing’s syndrome, increased blood glucose levels leading to diabetes, high blood pressure, cataracts, muscular and bone disorders, and an increased risk of infections.
A woman in her 20s was detained at the Causeway for bringing the ‘Wonderglow’ and ‘Tati Skin Care 5 in 1’ cosmetic sets from Malaysia into Singapore. She had intended to sell these products online. HSA seized the products and tested them. HSA also found that ‘Wonderglow’ was being sold online by other sellers. It was marketed as an anti-wrinkle and anti-aging product, with claims to brighten the skin in “as early as 3 days”. It was falsely labelled as “100% No Mercury Guaranteed”, as HSA found that the ‘Night Cream’ contained very high levels of mercury, exceeding the permissible limits by 7,000 times. HSA had alerted the public to stop buying and using the ‘Tati Skin Care 5 in 1’ cosmetic set in Jun and Sep 2017. The product has resurfaced online, and recent tests showed that ‘Therapy Cream 1’ in the set contained mercury exceeding the permissible limits by close to 50,000 times. ‘Therapy Cream 2’ in the set was tested to contain hydroquinone and tretinoin. Both are potent western ingredients that should only be used under medical supervision. Inappropriate use of hydroquinone and tretinoin could cause adverse skin reactions such as redness, burning and peeling of the skin.
Please refer to the following website in HSA for details:
http://www.hsa.gov.sg/content/dam/../PR%20for%20Wonderglow%20n%20Herba%20Saraf_13Marfinal.pdf
In Hong Kong, the above products are not registered pharmaceutical products.
Ends/Wednesday, Mar 14, 2018
Issued at HKT 15:00
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