Popular Skin-whitening Cream Banned in Pakistan For Having Cancer Causing Ingredients

Pakistan’s obsession with skin-whitening continues and with having serious implications for one’s self-esteem, the whitening creams take a toll on health as well. As the industry, for the most part, is unregulated and there is no check and balance on what goes in the products, the health damages are neglected as well.

Among them is Faiza Beauty Cream – a popular one used by people for instant whitening effect. However, the regulatory bodies have finally come in action and PSQCA (Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority) has issued notices to companies manufacturing sub-standard products, causing health concerns.

As per the PSQCA report, Faiza Beauty Cream has been found to contain carcinogenic (cancer-causing) ingredients. The report was formulated after the public and private labs in the country dissected the ingredients and analyzed them.

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The report stated that Faiza Beauty Cream is being manufactured by M/s Poonia Brothers in Gujranwala since the year 2011 and is currently the biggest skin manufacturing company in Pakistan. It said that Faiza Beauty Cream contains steroids, hydroquinone and mercury. It is easily available in general as well as medical stores. PSQCA conducted open market surveillance in Karachi and Lahore and reported high levels of mercury in the product.

Mercury-containing skin products are hazardous and hence have been banned in Pakistan. The PSQCA liaison office Gujranwala has served M/s Poonia Brothers with a notice for their high mercury values. The content was found to be 60 mg/Kg (60 ppm), much higher than the limits set by WHO (World Health Organization). The company has previously been given notices as well, however, since they have shown no concern with it, Government’s regulatory body has directed M/s Poonia Brothers to immediately stop production of the product.

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