Certain skin whitening creams are very harmful to health, warns the Colombo district Consumer Affairs Authority.
During recent raids at Second Cross Street at Pettah, it exposed a racket of illegally packaging the creams, also sans labelling.
The Authority has initiated legal action against the errant shop owners.
However, such rackets are difficult to control due to the high demand for skin whitening creams, it said.
It requested consumers to purchase only those products with proper accountability and labelling that mentions the date of manufacture and expiry, chemicals content and method of use.
The Authority is continuing raids to nab further culprits.
Furthermore, it has issued guidelines that specify the maximum content of heavy metals per kg – 10 mg, three mg, one mg and three mg for lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium respectively.
Products without proper labelling are found to have heavy metals in excess of the specified amounts, the Authority added.
