The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC, has warned that the addictive use of bleaching creams and other cosmetic products could cause harm to the skin and internal organs.
Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this in Ibadan on Friday, at a NAFDAC-organized sensitization workshop for journalists in Nigeria's Southwest states, reports the Champion Newspapers.
Prof. Adeyeye said that some cosmetic products including nail products, facial makeup, lipsticks, bleaching creams, and hair dyes may be wrongly composed and contain harmful ingredients.
She said it is vital for users to first check the composition of cosmetic products to ensure that their chemical components are mixed in the right percentage before they buy them.
“It is very important to know the composition of these cosmetic products. Both synthetic and natural organic mixtures could be harmful if they are not in the right proportion.
“The effect of bleaching is a painfully slow death and we want this to stop. That is why we are collaborating with health journalists to spread the message to the public.
“Black is beautiful. It is a matter of mindset. The blacks want to be white and the whites want to be black. Men, having a light-complexioned woman doesn’t mean she will do what you want. We can make ourselves healthier by the choices we make,” the NAFDAC DG said.
The NAFDAC DG further said the regulatory agency is working to identify the producers and distributors of fake and unregistered cosmetic products to check their spread and save more lives.
Speaking on the safe handling of chemicals and ingredients in the cosmetics industry, NAFDAC's Director of Chemical Evaluation and Research, Dr. Leonard Omokpariola noted that cosmetics abuse could also cause infertility.
Dr. Omokpariola said, “Methyl methacrylate is a chemical used for nail products which can lead to dependence and cell damage when excessively used.
“Coal Tar is gotten from coal is used in making hair dye as well as Lead acetate from lead. From the hair, the chemical substances in it go into the body. Phthalates, one of the ingredients in skin lotions, nail polish, and hair products could be harmful to the health causing infertility.
Health and Wellness.
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