Three cosmetic products found to contain scheduled poison - Health DG

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the products are Puteri Ratu Treatment Cream and Flashh Treatment Cream, which both contain mercury, and Flashh Night Cream, which contains hydroquinone.

"Following that, the products' notifications had been cancelled and they were no longer allowed to be sold in Malaysia," he said in a statement today.

He advised members of the public who have been using the products to immediately stop and seek advice from health professionals if they experience any discomfort or adverse effects.

Dr Noor Hisham said mercury could be absorbed into the body and cause damage to the kidneys and nervous system, as well as disrupt brain development of young or unborn children, besides causing rashes, irritation and other changes to the skin.

Hydroquinone can cause skin redness, discomfort, skin discolouration and hypersensitivity. It can also inhibit the pigmentation process (depigmentation) which reduces the skin's ability to be protected from harmful UV rays, thus, increasing the risk of skin cancer.

Dr Noor Hisham also warned all sellers and distributors to stop selling the products as it violated the Control Of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984.

"Individuals who violate the regulation can be fined not more than RM25,000 or face a maximum of three years imprisonment, or both, for the first offence and fined not more than RM50,000 or a maximum of five years imprisonment, or both, for subsequent offences.

"Companies that commit the offence could be fined up to RM50,000 the first time and RM100,000 for subsequent offences," he added.

Consumers are encouraged to check the notification status of a cosmetic product at the NPRA's official website www.npra.gov.my or through the 'NPRA Product Status' application that can be downloaded at Google Play Store.