List of products banned by Kenya Bureau of Standards
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) has seized a total of 435 banned cosmetics from the market.
Kebs says the affected products contain harmful substances including hydroquinone and mercury.
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Constant use of cosmetic products containing hydroquinone and mercury plus its compounds can result in rashes, swelling, redness or peeling, fatigue, weakness, bone pain, and skin discoloration.
In addition to this exposure high levels of these elements over long periods of time can lead to serious health problems such as kidney damage, digestive illnesses, and nervous diseases.
Earlier on Kebs had issued a list of skin-lightening creams and soaps that they said were not suitable for everyday use.
Fair Lady, Miki, Mekako, Peau Claire cream and gel plus were among skin lightening products that have been banned by Kebs.
According to Kebs, the creams contain chemical components that should only be used to treat various medical conditions.
This means these products should only be used on the recommendation of a medical doctor and for such period of time as the doctor may prescribe, and should not be sold in the open market but only in registered pharmacies and chemists.
The chemicals used include hydroquinone, steroids, mercury and hydrogen peroxide.
“The ban is aimed at protecting unsuspecting consumers and discouraging dumping of these products in the Kenyan Market. Hydroquinone, Mercury, oxidizing agents and hormonal preparations are used for treating various medical conditions. They are therefore classified as drugs and should be applied only upon the advice and direction of a medical doctor,” read part of the statement.
“All skincare preparations like creams, lotions, gels, soaps, etc. containing hydroquinone, steroids and hormonal preparations should be registered by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of the Ministry of Health for medical use. Their use in cosmetics was prohibited through gazette notices 4310 of 14th August 1998 and 7169 of November 2000.”
Kebs says that Betnovate, Mediven, Diprosone, Nerisone, Hydrocortisone and 0xy 5 and 0xy 10 are the products registered with Pharmacy and Poisons Board to be used as human medicines for various skin conditions.
Below is the full list of Cosmetic products containing hydroquinone, steroids, mercury and hydrogen peroxide that have not been registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board as medicines.
SKIN-LIGHTENING LOTIONS CONTAINING HYDROQUINONE.
- Jaribu skin lightening lotion
- A3 lemon skin lightening lotion Princess Lotion
- Amira skin lightening lotion
- Kiss lotion
- Peau Claire beauty body lotion
- A3 clear touch complexion lotion
- Rico skin lightening lotion
- Clear touch lotion
- Fair white body clearing milk
- Sivoclair lightening body lotion
- Extra clair lightening body lotion
- Precieux treatment beauty lotion
- Clear essence skin beautifying milk 1
SKIN-LIGHTENING GELS CONTAINING HYDROQUINONE.
- Ultra clear
- Topiclear
- Body clear
SOAPS CONTAINING MERCURY AND ITS COMPOUNDS.
- Movate
- Mekako
- Jaribu
- Tura
- Acura
- Rico
- Fair lady
- Elegance
- Miki
- Jambo
SKIN-LIGHTENING CREAMS CONTAINING MERCURY AND ITS COMPOUNDS.
- Pimplex medicated cream
- Pimplex medicated cream
- New shirley medicated cream
- Cream preparations containing hydrogen peroxide(h2o2)
- Hot movate gel
- Tenovate
- Soft and beautiful cream
- Unic clear super cream
- Peau claire gel plus
- Peau claire cream
- Jolen cream, skin preparations continting steroids
- Movate cream, skin success gel
- Amira –c
- Neu clear gel
- Body clear cream spot remover
- Top gel plus
- Lemonvate cream, secret gel
- Tcb gel plus
- Topifram cream
- Skin balance lemon cream
- Dermo -gel plus
- Fashion fair gel plus
- Visible difference gel
- Sivoclair cream
- Action demovate cream
- Regge lemon gel
- Ultimate lady gel
- topifram gel plus
- Age renewal cream
- Fair & white gel plus
- Peau clair gel plus
- Fashion fair cream
- First class lady cream
- Skin success cream
- Neu clear cream plus
- Jaribu beta – β cream
- Body treat cream spot remover
- Clair & lovely gel, peau clair cream
- Soft & beautiful gel
- Action demovate gel plus
- Prosone gel
- Skin balance gel wrinkle remover
- Ultra-gel plus 44. Pro-one gel mca
- Betalemon cream
- Skin balance cream wrinkle remover
SKIN-LIGHTENING CREAMS CONTAINING HYDROQUINONE.
- Jaribu cream
- Madonna medicated cream
- Tura skin toning cream
- Kiss -medicated beauty cream
- Zarina medicated skin lightener cream
- Lolane cream, nadinola cream
- Mic skin lightener cream
- Clere lemon cream
- Butone cream
- Miki beauty cream
- Island beauty skin fade cream
- Ikb medicated cream
- Care plus fairness cream
- A3 skin lightening cream, ambi american formula
- Ambi extra complexion cream for men
- A3 tripple action cream pearl light
- Fairlady skin lightening cream
- Clear touch cream
- Rico skin tone crème
- Princess medicated beauty cream
- Immediat claire lighten
- Mekako cream
- Yesako medicated beauty cream
- Mrembo medicated beauty cream
- Uno21 cream
- Envi skin toner, viva super lemon
- Glotone complexion cream
- Tonight night beauty cream
- Clere extra cream
- Malaika medicated beauty cream
- Crusader skin toning cream
- Malibu medicated cream
- Opiclear cream, carekako medicated cream
- Dream successful
- Cleartone skin toning cream
- Cleartone extra skin toning cream
- Elegance skin lightening cream
- Fade out cream
- Crusader ultra-brand cream
- Baraka skin lightening cream
- Amira cream
- Rico complexion cream
- Shirley cream
- Princess patra luxury complexion cream
- Ambi special complexion cream
- Nindola cream, claire creme
- Fulani creme eclaircissante
- Binti jambo cream
- Dear heart with hydroquinone cream
- Nish medicated cream
- Palmer’s skin success fade cream
- Body clear cream
- Symba creme skin lite ‘n’ smooth
- Clear essence medicated fade cream
- O’nyia skin crème
- Mr. Clere cream
- Top lemon plus cream
- Ultime skin lightening cream
- Peau claire crème eclaircissante