Head of NAFDAC warns against using bleaching cosmetics

Dr. Monica Eimunjeze, Acting Director General (DG) of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has warned Nigerians that using bleaching cosmetic products to lighten their skin is dangerous to their health.

She went on to say that using skin bleaching products, among other things, could cause skin redness, ulcers, cancer, blisters, swellings, and itching.

As a result, she advised people to stay away from these products for their own good.

Eimunjeze made the call during a media sensitization workshop on the dangers of bleaching creams and regulatory control programs organized by NAFDAC for the Association of Nigeria Health Journalists in Lagos.

In a related development, she urged Nigerians to avoid buying smuggled tomato pastes in the market because they contain unacceptable ingredients that are harmful to one’s health.

“We discovered seven warehouses in Lagos where tomato paste products were packed without NAFDAC numbers,” she explained. We have made an arrest and investigation is ongoing”.

She explained that NAFDAC organized the event to engage the media in educating the public about the dangers of unregulated products. NAFDAC cannot guarantee the contents or safety of such products. As a result, we want Nigerians to understand that these products are hazardous to their health and can have long-term consequences.

According to Eimunjeze, the Federal Government has prohibited the importation of tomato pastes into the country, so Nigerians should exercise caution because the agency is determined to protect the nation’s health.

“These products are subject to regulatory scrutiny. We register products, as part of regulatory requirements to reevaluate every product in the country”.

NAFDAC’s Director of Chemical Evaluation and Research, Dr. Leonard Omokpariola, stated that there were issues with chemicals in cosmetic products because many products have harmful effects on the body.

“These harmful products lighten the skin and have numerous toxic effects because they accumulate in the body until the skin is damaged,” he explained.

The Association of Nigerian Health Journalists’ President, Mr. Hassan Zaggi, praised NAFDAC for working with the media.

He promised that the media would disseminate accurate information and educate Nigerians about the risks associated with these products.