Illegal skin-lightening products seized from Oshawa warehouse
Published December 28, 2022 at 2:20 pm
Three unauthorized skin-lightening products that may cause serious health risks have been seized from an Oshawa warehouse and removed from online sales.
Brilliant Skin Essentials’ Brilliant Rejuv Set, Brilliant Rejuv Topical Solution and Brilliant Rejuv Topical Crème were all seized by Health Canada as the products contain hydroquinone and tretinoin: prescription drugs with several serious side affects if not used properly.
The products, which were being sold by Beauty Haven Canada, were being touted as skin-lightening solutions. Hydroquinone is a prescription drug when it is greater than a two per cent concentration and is indeed used as a topical to lighten areas of darkened skin caused by different conditions (e.g., sun exposure, skin damage, pregnancy, medications or age). The drug has been associated with cancer after long-term exposure and carries a long list of side affects, including skin reactions such as redness, dryness, cracked skin, burning, stinging, peeling, itching, increased sensitivity to sunlight, sunburn, blisters and scarring.
Tretinoin is another topical (applied to the skin) prescription drug that is primarily used to treat acne. Topical tretinoin may cause pain, irritation, itchiness, redness, or swelling at the site of application. It may damage skin, change skin colour, and increase sensitivity to sunlight or tanning beds, causing sunburns. Using tretinoin in combination with hydroquinone may increase some of the side effects of tretinoin.
Health Canada maintains a list of unauthorized health products that may pose serious health risks so that the public can easily identify those they may have purchased and take appropriate action.
Beauty Haven has an online presence with no contact information. There appears to be two bricks and mortar locations, both in the Hamilton area in Caledonia and Waterdown.
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