The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) intends to inform the public about items discovered and reported by international authorities in January 2024. These items were found to contain powerful components that are prohibited in these products and could lead to adverse effects.
The general public is advised to:
- Seek medical advice if they have consumed any of the products and are experiencing discomfort.
- Refrain from purchasing these products while overseas.
- Exercise caution when buying health-related items online or from unfamiliar sources, whether local or international.
- Approach products that promise rapid or miraculous outcomes with skepticism
- Seek advice from a doctor or pharmacist when managing acute and chronic medical symptoms and conditions (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, eczema).
Additionally, the public is encouraged to visit the following link: https://www.hsa.gov.sg/consumer-safety/ to gain a deeper understanding of the risks associated with purchasing health products from dubious sources.
Please refer to Annex A and Annex B for the list of products and the possible side effects of the potent ingredients. If members of the public encounter the sale or distribution of these products within Singapore, they are encouraged to reach out to HSA’s Enforcement Branch via telephone at 6866 3485 during office hours (Monday to Friday) or through email at hsa_is@hsa.gov.sg.
Annex A – List of product and its potent ingredient
| Name of product | Potent ingredient(s) | Source (Regulatory Agency) |
| Arize | Nortadalafil (PDE-5 inhibitor) | United States Food and Drug Administration |
| Artri King | Dexamethasone, Diclofenac and Phenolphthalein | Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration |
| เธเธตเธขเธญเธ เนเธงเธเนเนเธเธเธเธดเนเธ เธเธฃเธตเธก BEYOND WHITENING CREAM | Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Bullblood tablets | Sildenafil (PDE-5 inhibitor) | Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration |
| Chilli Day Cream | Betamethasone and Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Chilli Night Cream | Betamethasone and Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Commander Stamina Time tablets | Tadalafil (PDE-5 inhibitor) | Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration |
| Daisy BEAUTY RICH | Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Daisy BEAUTY RICH | Mercury and Retinoic acid | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| ENDUREA | Sildenafil (PDE-5 inhibitor) | United States Food and Drug Administration |
| Excite for her tablets | Sildenafil (PDE-5 inhibitor) | Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration |
| ForeverMen | Sildenafil (PDE-5 inhibitor) | United States Food and Drug Administration |
| Labskin ACTIVEWHITE White Cream Secret Recipe เนเธงเธเน เธเธฃเธตเธก เธเธตเนเธเธฃเนเธ เนเธฃเธเธดเธเธต (เธเธฃเธตเธกเธเธฒเธงเธชเธนเธเธฃเธฅเธฑเธ) | Betamethasone | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Labskin white Cream secret Resipe เนเธงเธเน เธเธฃเธตเธก เธเธตเนเธเธฃเนเธ เนเธฃเธเธดเธเธต (เธขเธฒเนเธฃเนเธเธเธฒเธง) | Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| LADY GOLD(Blue jar lid with yellow cream) | Betamethasone, Hydroquinone, Mercury and Retinoic acid | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| LADY GOLD (Gold jar lid with orange cream) | Betamethasone and Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Magnum 24K Male Enhancement XXL | Sildenafil (PDE-5 inhibitor) | Health Canada |
| MEYYONG RA เนเธซเธกเธขเธซเธขเธ เธญเธฒเธฃเนเนเธญ เธเธฃเธตเธกเธชเธกเธธเธเนเธเธฃเธชเธฒเธซเธฃเนเธฒเธข (SEAWEED) SUPER WHITENING DAY CREAM เนเธเธขเน เธเธฃเธตเธก NIGHT CREAM เนเธเธเน เธเธฃเธตเธก MOISTURIZER CREAM เธกเธญเธขเธชเนเนเธเธญเนเธฃเนเธเธญเธฃเน เธเธฃเธตเธก | Hydroquinone, Mercury and Retinoic acid | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| MEIYONG เธเธฒเธชเธตเนเธเธตเธขเธง (Green jar lid with green cream) | Betamethasone and Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| MEIYONG เธเธฒเธชเธตเธเธกเธเธน (Pink jar lid with yellow cream) | Betamethasone | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| MEIYONG เธเธฒเธชเธตเธเนเธณเนเธเธดเธ (Blue jar lid with yellow cream) | Hydroquinone and Retinoic acid | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| MEIYONG เธเธฒเธชเธตเนเธเธตเธขเธง (Green jar lid) | Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| MEIYONG เธเธฒเธชเธตเธเนเธณเนเธเธดเธ (Blue jar lid) | Hydroquinone and Retinoic acid | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| MEIYONG เธเธฒเธชเธตเธเธกเธเธน (Pink jar lid) | Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| MEIYONG เธเธฒเธชเธตเนเธเธตเธขเธง (Green jar lid) | Betamethasone and Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| MEIYONG เธเธฒเธชเธตเธเธกเธเธน (Pink jar lid) | Betamethasone and Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| MEIYONG เธเธฒเธชเธตเธเนเธณเนเธเธดเธ (Blue jar lid) | Betamethasone and Retinoic acid | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| MEYYONG RA เนเธซเธกเธขเธซเธขเธ เธญเธฒเธฃเนเนเธญ เธเธฃเธตเธกเธชเธกเธธเธเนเธเธฃเธชเธฒเธซเธฃเนเธฒเธข (SEAWEED) EXTRA WHITENING & FACE LIFT MOISTURIZER CREAM เธกเธญเธขเธชเนเนเธเธญเนเธฃเนเธเธญเธฃเน เธเธฃเธตเธก | Betamethasone, Mercury and Retinoic acid | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| MEYYONG RA เนเธซเธกเธขเธซเธขเธ เธญเธฒเธฃเนเนเธญ เธเธฃเธตเธกเธชเธกเธธเธเนเธเธฃเธชเธฒเธซเธฃเนเธฒเธข (SEAWEED) EXTRA WHITENING & FACE LIFT MOISTURIZER CREAM เธกเธญเธขเธชเนเนเธเธญเนเธฃเนเธเธญเธฃเน เธเธฃเธตเธก | Betamethasone and Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| MEYYONG RA เนเธซเธกเธขเธซเธขเธ เธญเธฒเธฃเนเนเธญ เธเธฃเธตเธกเธชเธกเธธเธเนเธเธฃเธชเธฒเธซเธฃเนเธฒเธข (SEAWEED) SUPER WHITENING DAY CREAM เนเธเธขเน เธเธฃเธตเธก NIGHT CREAM เนเธเธเน เธเธฃเธตเธก MOISTURIZER CREAM เธกเธญเธขเธชเนเนเธเธญเนเธฃเนเธเธญเธฃเน เธเธฃเธตเธก | Betamethasone, Hydroquinone, Mercury and Retinoic acid | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Mhor Yanhee(Green box) | Betamethasone, Hydroquinone and Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Mhor Yanhee (Gold jar lid with green cream) | Betamethasone and Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Mhor Yanhee (Gold jar lid with light yellow-white cream) | Betamethasone and Hydroquinone | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Mhor Yanhee (Gold box) | Betamethasone, Hydroquinone, Mercury and Retinoic acid | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Mhor Yanhee (Brown jar lid with light orange-white cream) | Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Mhor Yanhee (Brown jar lid with light yellow-white cream) | Betamethasone, Hydroquinone and Retinoic acid | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Mhor Yanhee (Pink box) | Betamethasone, Hydroquinone and Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Mhor Yanhee (Light yellow jar lid with pink cream) | Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Mhor Yanhee (Light yellow jar lid with light yellow cream) | Betamethasone and Hydroquinone | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Mhor Yanhee (Purple box) (within the box, there is a light red jar lid with light pink cream) | Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Mhor Wutti sak 3 (Green jar lid with green cream) | Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Mhor Wutti sak 4 (Green jar lid with light yellow cream) | Betamethasone, Hydroquinone and Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Mhor Yanhee (Blue jar lid with orange cream) | Betamethasone and Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Mhor Yanhee (Blue jar lid with clear white cream) | Hydroquinone and Retinoic acid | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Pink Pussycat | Hydroxythiohomosildenafil (PDE-5 inhibitor) | Health Canada |
| Polla GOLD SUPER WHITE PERFECTS | Betamethasone and Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Polla Anti-Acne Cream | Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Polla Anti-Melasma Cream) | Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Premier Love Gold 22000 | Sildenafil and Tadalafil (PDE-5 inhibitors) | Health Canada |
| Rhino 7 Platinum 5000 | Sildenafil (PDE-5 inhibitor) | Health Canada |
| Seraphim Z | Sildenafil (PDE-5 inhibitor) | United States Food and Drug Administration |
| SnowWhite Armpit Whitening Underarm Cream | Betamethasone and Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| Throb Herbal supplement tablets | Vardenafil (PDE-5 inhibitor) | Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration |
| U NICE เนเธงเธเน เนเธเธเธเธดเนเธ เธเธฃเธตเธกเธชเธดเธง- เธเนเธฒเนเธเนเนเธเนเธเธชเธกเธเนเธณเธเธถเนเธ | Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| U NICE เธเธฃเธตเธกเธเนเธฒ เธเนเธณเธเธกเธเนเธฒเธงเธเธชเธกเนเธขเนเธเธดเธฃเนเธ | Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| 88 Whitening Night Cream | Betamethasone and Mercury | Thailand Food and Drug Administration |
| 2000 Ginseng Red | Sildenafil (PDE-5 inhibitor) | Health Canada |
Annex B – possible side effects of the potent ingredient
Betamethasone and Dexamethasone:
- Potent steroids prescribed for inflammatory conditions.
- Strict medical supervision required for use.
- Long-term unsupervised use may lead to increased blood glucose, high blood pressure, cataracts, infections, and Cushingโs syndrome.
- Discontinuation without medical supervision can cause serious withdrawal symptoms.
Diclofenac:
- Potent painkiller with potential cardiovascular risks during prolonged use.
- Requires close medical supervision, especially for patients with underlying heart conditions, stomach bleeding, and ulceration.
Hydroquinone:
- Potent ingredient in prescription medicines for skin conditions.
- Prohibited in skincare cosmetics; should only be used under medical supervision.
- Inappropriate use may result in skin color changes and hypersensitivity reactions.
Mercury:
- Toxic substance prohibited in cosmetic products.
- Regular application may lead to rash, skin discoloration, and organ damage with chronic exposure.
Phenolphthalein:
- Associated with kidney disorders and cancer in animal studies.
- May cause breathing difficulties, rashes, and abdominal cramps.
PDE-5 Inhibitors (e.g., avanafil, sildenafil):
- Medicines causing serious side effects like strokes, heart attacks, vision and hearing loss, and priapism.
- Not suitable for patients with certain heart-related problems or those on nitrates.
- Deaths reported in patients using sildenafil with nitrates.
Retinoic Acid:
- Potent ingredient in prescription medicines for skin conditions.
- Prohibited in skincare cosmetics; should be used under medical supervision.
- Inappropriate use may lead to side effects such as redness and peeling of the skin.
HSA: Health Sciences Authority
Link to the HSA announcement: https://www.hsa.gov.sg/announcements/safety-alert/hsa-updates-on-products-found-overseas-that-contain-potent-ingredients-(january-2024)
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