Fake cosmetics flood Kampala shops

By Carol Kasujja

Women continue to put their health at risk to meet some obscure standards of beauty.

Many spend a big chunk of their income on beauty products to keep up with the trend, oblivious of the fact that some of these products were long-declared unfit for use.

According to the National Drug Authority (NDA) these are drugs are sold as cosmetics and are mostly used for bleaching.

Some of the brands include Diproson cream and lotion, Perfect Finish, Hot Movate gel, Lemonvate, New clear cream, Sivotone cream, Slear essence cream, First class lady, Neutrotone cream, Dermaclair, Maxi-tone and skin balance cream.

And more: Peau Claire, Miss caroline gel plus, Miki cream, Detasol, Fashion fair gel plus, Secret gel, Epiderm lotion, Mekako, Fadeout cream, Rico, Skin success cream and Betaderm cream.

NDA carried out studies on these drugs and found that using them could result into consequential health risks like skin cancer, nervous disorder, kidney failure and allergies.

“Despite the existence of a law that prohibits the sale of these items, they continue to flood the market,” says Andrew Rutebuka, inspector of drugs at the drugs body.

NDA, Uganda National Bureau of Standards and Uganda Revenue Authority warned cosmetic dealers against these drugs in 2004, but they ignored the warning, the bodies say.

 As a result, NDA carried out another sting operation in the city centre and found that the majority of big cosmetics shops were selling the banned drugs. They recovered tonnes of the restricted drugs and arrested a Nigerian couple, Paulinus Esioja, his wife Nankya and Deo Ssenyonjo of ButambalaTraders in Kikuubo, downtown Kampala.

“If anyone buys a lotion and the label indicates that it contains Clobetasol and Fluocinolone, it should not be used unless it is prescribed by a doctor. Ladies who go to salons should also avoid using diproson in their hair,” warns David Nahamya, the senior inspector of drugs at NDA.

A law was enacted in 2002 to control and regulate the sale of cosmetics containing bleaching ingredients.

The law requires cosmetics which contain medicinal preparations to be registered with NDA so that they are regulated as dermatological pharmaceutical drugs for medical use.

As a result of the ban, manufacturers conceal bleaching ingredients on the labels, suggesting that they have been okayed for use, says Wycliffe Arinaitwe, an NDA law enforcement officer

Arinaitwe thinks it is the weak laws in place responsible for the slowed progress in combating the illegal practice.

“We carry out operations, arrest people, but they are released after paying fines of sh30,000,” he says.

His suggestion: “The Government should tighten laws to scare away people from dealing in these products.”