HSA warns against using skin cream with potent steroid
Members of the public are advised not to purchase or use a skin cream which caused a woman in her 50s to suffer severe skin reactions after using it, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said on Aug 26.
Called Touch Skin by DermaCare Skin Relief Treatment Cream, the product is touted to soothe eczema, chickenpox and insect bites.
The woman had been using the cream for about eight years for her sensitive facial skin, and would experience a sudden worsening of symptoms – also known as flare-ups – whenever she stopped applying the cream.
She had purchased the cream from a shop in Orchard Road and continued buying it from the seller via messaging platform WhatsApp after the physical shop closed in 2020.
In May 2024, the woman saw an advisory issued by HSA warning against a similar product found to contain a steroid and sold on the touchskin.com.sg website. She immediately stopped the use of Touch Skin by DermaCare Skin Relief Treatment Cream.
Two days after she stopped using the cream, she developed red, sensitive and itchy skin on her face and consulted a doctor. The doctor found her skin to be severely inflamed, sensitive to sunlight, and thinned out with telangiectasia, also known as spider veins, and reported the adverse event to HSA.
A test conducted by HSA revealed that the cream contained betamethasone valerate, a potent steroid usually prescribed for inflammatory conditions that should be used under medical supervision.
Ongoing investigations have also revealed that Touch Skin by DermaCare Skin Relief Treatment Cream and the product flagged by HSA in May were sold by the same seller.
Creams containing potent steroids for the treatment of skin conditions should be used only under medical supervision, said HSA.
Long-term unsupervised use of such creams can cause hypersensitivity reactions, thinning of the skin and topical steroid withdrawal syndrome, which presents symptoms such as burning, itching and redness when their use is suddenly stopped.
The steroids may also be absorbed into the body and cause serious adverse effects when applied to large areas of the skin or used over a prolonged period. Adverse effects include high blood pressure, cataracts, muscular and bone disorders, an increased risk of infections and Cushing’s syndrome, which causes a “moon face” appearance and upper body obesity with thin limbs.
HSA said that members of the public should be wary of purchasing skin creams from dubious, unfamiliar or online sources, as consumers cannot be certain where and how these products were made, or if they have been adulterated with harmful ingredients.
“Adulterated products are often manufactured under poor conditions with no quality control, and different batches of the same product may contain variable amounts of ingredients and/or different types of adulterants,” it said, adding that consumers should buy only from reputable pharmacies or retailers’ websites, or those with an established retail presence in Singapore.
HSA instructed all sellers and suppliers of these products to stop selling them immediately, and said it would not hesitate to take stern enforcement action against anyone who sells and supplies products found to be adulterated with steroids.
Those found guilty can be jailed for up to three years, fined up to $100,000, or both.
Members of the public who have any information on the sale and supply of these illegal products may contact HSA’s enforcement branch on 6866-3485 during office hours from Mondays to Fridays, or via e-mail at hsa_is@hsa.gov.sg
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now