KEBS Bans 435 Beauty Products [LIST]

In addition, the quality regulator vowed legal action against any firm found selling the products in the country.

KEBS Bans 435 Beauty Products [LIST]
An image of beauty products. /FILE

The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), has banned 435 cosmetics from the Kenyan market after they were found to have been contaminated by mercury and hydroquinone forms of drug compounds.

A statement issued by KEBS on Tuesday, November 1 revealed that the products affected include soaps, skin-lightening creams and lotions that have not been registered by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of the Ministry of Health for medical use and should only be applied under the directions of a medical doctor.

In addition, the quality regulator vowed legal action against any firm found selling the products in the country.

“KEBS wishes to notify the public that the below-listed cosmetic brands are banned and therefore should not be sold. The products contain harmful substances which are hydroquinone, mercury and its compounds,” read the statement.

An image of KEBS offices. /CAPITAL GROUP

“The prohibition/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."

The products, according to KEBS are classified as drugs and should be applied only upon the advice and direction of a medical doctor.

The regulator further warned Kenyans about the long-term effects of the products such as rashes, swelling, redness or peeling, fatigue, weakness, bone pain, skin discolouration, kidney damage, digestive illnesses, and nervous diseases

Products which have been quantified fit for use include; Betnovate, Mediven, Diprosone,  Nerisone, Hydrocortisone, 0xy 5 and 0xy 10.

Below is the full list of products:

SOAPS CONTAINING MERCURY AND ITS COMPOUNDS

  1. Movate
  2. Mekako
  3. Jaribu
  4. Tura
  5. Acura
  6. Rico
  7. Fair lady
  8. Elegance
  9. Miki
  10. Jambo

SKIN-LIGHTENING CREAMS CONTAINING MERCURY AND ITS COMPOUNDS

  1. Pimplex medicated cream
  2. Pimplex medicated cream
  3. New Shirley medicated cream
  4. Cream preparations containing hydrogen peroxide(h2o2)
  5. Hot movate gel
  6. Tenovate
  7. Soft and beautiful cream
  8. Unic clear super cream
  9. Peau claire gel plus
  10. Peau claire cream
  11. Jolen cream, skin preparations containing steroids
  12. Movate cream, skin success gel
  13. Amira –c
  14. Neu clear gel
  15. Body clear cream spot remover
  16. Top gel plus
  17. Lemonvate cream, secret gel
  18. TCB gel plus
  19. Topifram cream
  20. Skin balance lemon cream
  21. Dermo -gel plus
  22. Fashion fair gel plus
  23. Visible difference gel
  24. Sivoclair cream
  25. Action demovate cream
  26. Regge lemon gel
  27. Ultimate lady gel
  28. Topifram gel plus
  29. Age renewal cream
  30. Fair & white gel plus
  31. Peau clair gel plus
  32. Fashion fair cream
  33. First-class lady cream
  34. Skin Success cream
  35. Neu clear cream plus
  36. Jaribu beta - β cream
  37. Body treat cream spot remover
  38. Clair & lovely gel, peau clair cream
  39. Soft & beautiful gel
  40. Action demovate gel plus
  41. Prosone gel
  42. Skin balance gel wrinkle remover
  43. Ultra-gel plus
  44. Pro-one gel mca
  45. Betalemon cream
  46. Skin balance cream wrinkle remover

SKIN-LIGHTENING LOTIONS, CREAMS AND GELS CONTAINING HYDROQUINONE

Lotions

  1. Jaribu skin lightening lotion
  2. A3 lemon skin lightening lotion Princess lotion
  3. Amira skin lightening lotion
  4. Kiss lotion
  5. Peau Claire beauty body lotion
  6. A3 clear touch complexion lotion
  7. Rico skin lightening lotion
  8. Clear touch lotion
  9. Fair white body clearing milk
  10. Sivoclair lightening body lotion
  11. Extra Clair lightening body lotion
  12. Precieux treatment beauty lotion
  13. Clear Essence skin beautifying milk

Gels

  1. Ultra clear
  2. Topiclear
  3. Body clear

Creams

  1. Jaribu cream
  2. Madonna medicated cream
  3. Tura skin toning cream
  4. Kiss-medicated beauty cream
  5. Zarina medicated skin lightener cream
  6. Lolane cream, nadinola cream
  7. Mic skin lightener cream
  8. Clere lemon cream
  9. Butone cream
  10. Miki beauty cream
  11. Island beauty skin fade cream
  12. Ikb medicated cream
  13. Care plus fairness cream
  14. A3 skin lightening cream, ambi american formula
  15. Ambi extra complexion cream for men
  16. A3 Tripple action cream pearl light
  17. Fairlady skin lightening cream
  18. Clear touch cream
  19. Rico skin tone crème
  20. Princess medicated beauty cream
  21. Immediat claire lighten
  22. Mekako cream
  23. Yesako medicated beauty cream
  24. Mrembo medicated beauty cream
  25. Uno21 cream
  26. Envi skin toner, viva super lemon
  27. Glotone complexion cream
  28. Tonight night beauty cream
  29. Clere extra cream
  30. Malaika medicated beauty cream
  31. Crusader skin toning cream
  32. Malibu medicated cream
  33. Opiclear cream, carekako medicated cream
  34. Dream successful
  35. Cleartone skin toning cream
  36. Cleartone extra skin toning cream
  37. Elegance skin lightening cream
  38. Fade out cream
  39. Crusader ultra-brand cream
  40. Baraka skin lightening cream
  41. Amira cream
  42. Rico complexion cream
  43. Shirley cream
  44. Princess patra luxury complexion cream
  45. Ambi special complexion cream
  46. Nindola cream, claire creme
  47. Fulani creme eclaircissante
  48. Binti jambo cream
  49. Dear heart with hydroquinone cream
  50. Nish medicated cream
  51. Palmer's skin success fade cream
  52. Body clear cream
  53. Symba creme skin lite 'n' smooth
  54. Clear essence medicated fade cream
  55. O'nyia skin crème
  56. Mr. Clere cream
  57. Top lemon plus cream
  58. Ultime skin lightening cream
  59. Peau claire crème eclaircissante

Speaking on Friday, October 14 during the commemoration of World Standards day, where KEBS unveiled newly approved 474 standards for different products in the country, Bernard Njiraini, KEBS managing director revealed that Kenyans are taking preference for the products banned by the quality regulator which contain harmful chemicals.

Most of the banned products are available for Ksh1,000 from cosmetic shops and online marketplaces.

The cosmetics industry in Kenya is estimated at Ksh100 billion, with products such as deodorants and antiperspirants, glycerine, hair spray, lip balm (lip salve), lip shine (lip gloss), lipstick, aftershave, baby oils, body oils, and shea butter being in circulation every day.

Rihanna posing next to her Fenty Beauty line of products. /FILE