THE Health Ministry has found that the product “Armila Beauty Kak ELL Pigment Booster” contains a scheduled poison, hence it can no longer be sold in Malaysia. 

Health director-general Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan said the cosmetic product contained 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 unsupervised usage of products containing the substance could lead to unwanted side effects. 

“Betamethasone 17-Valerate can cause the skin to become thin and prone to irritation, acne, and changes in skin pigmentation and increases 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” app downloadable from Google Play Store. – Bernama, July 12, 2023.