The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control’s acting director general, Dr. Monica Eimunjeze, has warned Nigerians against using cosmetic goods that bleach their skin in order to lighten it because doing so is harmful to their health.
She warned consumers to stay away from these items because they might, among other things, result in skin redness, ulcers, cancer, blisters, swellings, and itching.
At a media awareness workshop on the risks of bleaching creams and regulatory control initiatives held in Lagos for the Association of Nigerian Health Journalists, Eimunjeze made this call.
She added that NAFDAC organized the event in order to use the media to inform the public about the risks associated with items that have not undergone regulatory assessment. As such, the safety and substance of such items cannot be guaranteed by NAFDAC and Nigerians to understand that these products could be harmful to them and have an impact on their long-term health.
Director of Chemical Evaluation and Research NAFDAC, Dr. Leonard Omokpariola, stated that there are problems with chemicals in cosmetic items because many of these products have adverse effects on the body.
He said: “These harmful products make skin lighter and they have lots of toxic effects because they continue to accumulate in the body until the skin is damaged.“
The President of the Association of Nigerian Health Journalists, Mr. Hassan Zaggi, commended NAFDAC for working with the media while also pledging that the media would spread accurate information and notify Nigerians of the risks associated with these goods.
