S'pore woman suspicious when underarm cream works too well, HSA finds potent steroid & mercury in it

A woman in Singapore bought whitening cream for her underarms, but grew suspicious when the product worked a little too well.

After applying it on areas of concern, her eyebrows were raised when the cream produced effective results almost instantly.

She alerted the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), who unearthed various alarming ingredients in the cream, including mercury, a potent steroid, and a preservative banned from cosmetic skin creams.

“Safe, natural, non-toxic and harmless"

The customer had purchased a small tub of “Q-nic Care Whitening Underarm Cream” online, said the HSA on Oct. 25.

This cream was touted to help reduce body odour, whiten, and smoothen one's skin tone.

Its description was printed on the packaging in Thai.

The product was marketed as “safe, natural, non-toxic and harmless to your skin”.

It was soon discovered to be unsafe, unnatural, toxic, and harmful to the skin.

Not safe for use

"Very high levels" of mercury were found in the cream.

Mercury is a forbidden ingredient in cosmetic products, as it may give rise to symptoms such as skin irritation and numbness.

Prolonged use of products containing mercury can also cause toxic effects to the kidneys and digestive and nervous systems, leading to organ damage.

The potent steroid found in the cream, betamethasone valerate, is typically prescribed for inflammatory conditions and should only be used under medical supervision.

Long-term, unsupervised use could cause hypersensitivity, skin thinning, and steroid withdrawal syndrome.

It may also bring about a host of major health problems like high blood pressure, cataracts, and muscular and bone disorders.

Removed from shelves

Listings featuring the cream have been taken down from online retail platforms such as Carousell, Shopee, and Lazada.

The cream was also found on the shelves of a shop at Lucky Plaza.

HSA has since seized all the products from the shop.

Two sellers are assisting with investigations.

Top images via HSA