The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) this month (December) listed 32 brands of cosmetics that contain mercury and hydroquinone and said these remain banned for use on the Uganda market.
The standards regulator said the ban is in line with its mandate of protecting the public and the environment against harmful and sub-standard products.
A previous survey done by UNBS indicated that 31% of the samples brought from the market and tested in UNBS’ internationally accredited laboratories were found to contain hydroquinone, contrary to the requirements of US EAS 377-2:2013 and most of these were imported products.
Below is a list of the 32 brands found to contain Hydroquinone or Mercury or both;
- 1. Nature Secrete Lightening Moisturizing Body Lotion with Carrot
- 2. B Light Extra Fort Lightening Body Milk with Carrot Extracts
- 3. Clinic Clear Whitening Body Lotion
- 4. Skin Lotion Nature Secrete Lightening Moisturizing Body Lotion with Carrot
- 5. Fair and White (F & W) Brightening and Clarifying Carrot
- 6. White Secret Lightening Body Lotion
- 7. White Express – Carrotte
- 8. Totem (Carotte+bave d’Escargot)
- 9. Light Up Dark Spots Correcting
- 10. Rapid Clair Super Éclair Assant
- 11. B Light Extra Fort Lightening Body Milk with Carrot Extracts
- 12. White Secret
- 13. Nature Secrete; Carotte
- 14. White Express – Eclaircissant Lait
- 15. Lemon Clear Clearing Beauty Cream Treatment
- 16. Beauty Clinic whitening Body Cream (Skin repair and anti-aging)
- 17. Maxi Claire
- 18. Bio Perfect Light
- 19. White Secret
- 20. Beation
- 21. Miki Clair Plus
- 22. Totem
- 23. Bio Plus Carrot
- 24. Carolight
- 25. Cocopulp
- 26. Bio Plus Carrot
- 27. Blight Extra fort
- 28. Totem (Carotte+bave d’Escargot)
- 29. Teint Clair
- 30. Rapid Clair Carotte
- 31. White Secrete
- 32. Light Up Dark Spots Correcting
Some of the imported products were labelled as containing hydroquinone, though written as Benzene-1, 4-diol; 1, 4 hydroxy benzene; 1, 4-Benzenediol or Benzene-1, 4-Diol whereas others do not declare at all, which is harmful to unsuspecting clients.
Hydroquinone and Mercury are common active ingredients found in several skin care products, designed specifically to lighten or bleach the skin.
However, Research has established that hydroquinone is a carcinogenic or a cancer-causing chemical and it has also been linked to the medical condition known as ochronosis in which the skin becomes dark and thick.
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