The Health Ministry’s National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Department (NPRA) in Malaysia has named three cosmetic products that contain scheduled poisons which can be harmful to health. The products are GG Pinky Day Cream for Skin, Tati Therapy Cream 1 and Tati Therapy Cream 2.

Among the scheduled poisons found in the products were mercury, hydroquinone, and tretinoin which were prohibited in cosmetic products.

According to the Health Ministry, cosmetic products mixed with hydroquinone, if used could cause redness to the skin, discomfort, undesirable skin discolouration and might also cause the skin to become hypersensitive.

Cosmetic products mixed with tretinoin are usually used to treat acne and reduce wrinkles. However, unsupervised use of the product can cause redness to the skin, discomfort, burning, peeling and hypersensitivity to sunlight.

For products mixed with mercury, the side effects, when it is absorbed by the body can cause damage to the kidney and nervous system. It can also affect the development of a child’s brain.