Cape Town - Nearly 80 percent of skin lighteners tested in a UCT study have been found to contain illegal or banned ingredients.
The study, published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, revealed that of the 29 skin lighteners tested, 79.5 percent contained illegal or banned ingredients.
These were all popular brands available in Cape Town, 27 of which were bought from informal traders and two from a pharmacy.
Twenty-two of the 27 bought from informal traders contained illegal mercury, steroids and hydroquinone.
One third of the products tested originated in Europe – in spite of a EU ban on the use of hydroquinone, mercury or steroids in cosmetics.
The skin lighteners were analysed by clinicians from Groote Schuur Hospital and a team of UCT scientists.
The researchers said in a release that for a long time hydroquinone had been regarded as the “leading offender” of harmful ingredients.
Now the results of the new study suggest that the “potent and ultra-potent topical steroids, in combination with mercury, have become the leading ingredients in skin-lightening products”.
Most of the 13 products that contained steroids were combined with either mercury or hydroquinone or both. While they said the devastating and sometimes irreversible effects of mercury and hydroquinone were well established, researchers said including topical steroids with these hazardous substances could present an even greater danger to consumers.
The top three countries of origin for the tested products were Italy (6), India (5) and the DRC (5).
Nonhlanhla Khumalo, head of dermatology at Groote Schuur, said this raised the question of whether South Africa had become a dumping ground for illegal cosmetics.
“We recommend improved international law enforcement and random testing to encourage industry compliance and help protect customers,” Khumalo said.
Cape Times