Many among the multifarious beauty enhancing cosmetics littering the Nigerian market have been found to be either substandard or hazardous to the human skin. In its latest advisory to consumers, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) warned about unauthorized cosmetics and chemicals being used as skin bleaching creams.
Mojisola Adeyeye, the director-general, NAFDAC, said producers of the affected beauty products shun safety standards and bypass regulatory checks.
“We don’t just ban products because they are bleaching agents but are prohibited because of safety issues surrounding particular ingredients in the products as they could cause skin cancer as well as damage the liver and kidney, “ she said.
Adeyeye said the agency observed the proliferation of beauticians engaging in beauty cream formulation, using unapproved chemicals and selling the same to their unsuspecting clients. She said some spas and beauty parlours are culpable in the illegal practice. Adeyeye said the culprits produce such products extemporaneously and covertly, thereby making NAFDAC enforcement a difficult task. She warned that owners of the affected spas and beauty parlours would be arrested and prosecuted.
