The Health Ministry has revoked the notification of Armila Beauty Kak ELL Pigment Booster, found to contain a scheduled poison and is no longer allowed to be sold in Malaysia.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan said the cosmetic product was detected to contain Betamethasone 17-Valerate, a type of drug that needed to be registered with the Drug Control Authority and could only be used with the advice of health professionals.

In a statement today, he said the use of products containing the substance without the supervision of health professionals could lead to unwanted side effects.

“Betamethasone 17-Valerate can cause the skin to become thin and prone to irritation, acne, changes in skin pigmentation and increase the risk of being absorbed into the blood circulation system, which can have harmful effects,” he said.

Dr Muhammad Radzi said sellers and distributors should stop selling and distributing the cosmetic product immediately as it violates the Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984.

Any individual who commits the offence can be fined not more than RM25,000 or imprisoned not more than three years or both for the first offence and fined not more than RM50,000 or jailed not more than five years or both for subsequent offences.

A company found guilty can be fined up to RM50,000 for the first offence and up to RM100,000 for subsequent offences.

“Consumers are advised to stop using the products immediately and seek the advice of healthcare professionals if they experience any discomfort or adverse effects,” he said.

The public is encouraged to check the notification status of a cosmetic product at the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) official website at www.npra.gov.my or through the ‘NPRA Product Status’ application that can be downloaded from Google Play Store.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency