NPRA bans two cosmetic products found to contain scheduled poison.

The information given by the NPRA is as follows:

Flashhskinzz Night Cream, which contains hydroquinone, and Rissa Skin Moisturizer, which contained hydroquinone, tretinoin, and betamethasone 17-valerate, have been banned.

The Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations of 1984 say that sellers and distributors must stop selling and distributing these items right away because they break the law.

Any person who commits the offence may be fined a maximum of RM25,000 or jailed for a maximum of three years, or both, for the first offence, and fined a maximum of RM50,000 or jailed for a maximum of five years, or both, for successive offences.

When applied to the skin, hydroquinone can cause redness, pain, unwanted skin discoloration, and hypersensitivity. It also suppresses the pigmentation process, which diminishes the skin's protection against dangerous ultraviolet radiation, hence raising the risk of skin cancer.