Govt mulls ban on OTC fairness creams

New Delhi: Based on the recommendations of many a health professionals, the central government is now mulling over a ban of OTC sales of fairness creams that contains Corticosteroids

This comes after the CDSCO is in consideration of the proposal that was submitted by a task force of Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists, to the Union health ministry.

The association had demanded a complete halt on the sale of corticosteroids laced fairness creams without prescription in the country.

“The petition has raised the issue related to indiscriminate sale of corticosteroids without prescription in India due to unregulated market and also makes an effort to sensitise common people about the risks associated with their use,” said Dr Y K Gupta, head of department of pharmacology at AIIMS and national scientific coordinator of the health ministry’s pharmacovigilance (PcPI) programme informed

Sen times.

The petition had pointed out that corticosteroids are being blatantly used in fairness creams and being promoted by OTC sales without anyone pointing out to the harmful effects of the said steroids

“Applying steroids on skin can induce Rosacea (facial redness) and can also cause permanent thinning of skin, hypo pigmentation, hirsuitism (hair growth), make the skin look transparent and thereby making the blood vessels more visible. Also, it can lead to diabetes over prolonged periods of time too,” a dermatologist informed the daily.

“We are going to have more stringent laws to control its sale and use. We have recently made several changes in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, keeping in view the current scenario,” said Dr G N Singh, Drug Controller General of India.