Health Sciences Authority warns against use of two illegal health products
The Health Sciences Authority warned consumers against the purchase and use of two illegal health products: Ure Tonic Herbal Traditional (photo, left) and RDL Hydroquinone Tretinoin Babyface Solution 3. . Photos: HSA
SINGAPORE – The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) warned consumers on Monday (Jan 22) against the purchase and use of two health products after one consumer was admitted to a hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and another suffered facial chemical burns.
The products are: Ure Tonic Herbal Traditional sold by a traditional practitioner in Malaysia, and “unlabelled brown bottles of facial solution” also known as RDL Hydroquinone Tretinoin Babyface Solution 3 from the Anita iBrow beauty parlour at Dhoby Exchange.
According to a HSA press release, a female consumer in her 50s had developed Cushing’s syndrome, a condition caused by prolonged consumption of steroids, after taking Ure Tonic for more than a year to “strengthen” her body. After suffering complications such as persistent low blood pressure and a weakened immune system – which resulted in pneumonia and sepsis, a life-threatening condition involving tissue and organ injuries – she was admitted to the ICU for treatment and is currently receiving outpatient care.
The second incident saw a woman in her 20s experiencing superficial chemical burns and skin peeling after two to three days of daily application of a facial solution known as RDL Hydroquinone Tretinoin Babyface Solution 3. She had visited the Anita iBrow beauty salon for a make-up session, and the beautician had used the solution purchased from an online platform on her skin. The female customer’s skin darkened and turned red and itchy after use, and she had to be treated by a skin specialist. HSA has directed the beautician, who is currently assisting with investigations, to stop using and supplying the solution.
HSA’s tests on the products found that the two products contained “potent western medicinal ingredients which are prohibited”. The Ure Tonic contained a potent steroid, dexamethasone, while the facial solution contained hydroquinone and tretinoin, which are western medicinal ingredients used for the treatment of skin conditions and should only be prescribed by a doctor and used under medical supervision, said the HSA.
In its press release, the HSA said: “As Ure Tonic Herbal Traditional contains a potent steroid, consumers who have taken the tonic are advised to see a doctor as soon as possible. Discontinuation of steroids without proper medical supervision can cause serious withdrawal symptoms such as fatigue, confusion and low blood pressure.
“Stop using any unlabelled facial solutions supplied by the ‘Anita iBrow’ beauty parlour immediately and see a doctor if you are experiencing adverse effects.”
The government authority also warned consumers to be careful when purchasing health products from unfamiliar sources, and to avoid buying or using unlabelled health products that “promise quick and miraculous results” as they “may contain harmful ingredients which can cause serious health effects”.
In an advisory to sellers and suppliers, the HSA also warned that the supply of the two health products must be stopped immediately as they are “illegal products which contained prohibited western medicinal ingredients”.
Any individual who supplies illegal health products is liable to prosecution and if convicted, may be imprisoned for up to three years and/or fined up to S$100,000, added the authority.
