Seven brands of bleaching creams have been seized after KEBs officers raided shops in Nakuru County .
The seven brands : Dermaclair Skin balance gel, Movate cream, Epiderm cream, Coco pulp, Caro light and Maxi light were seized on Friday amidst growing calls to have the standardization body rid the market off harmful cosmetics.
According to the Kenya Bureau of Standards, the creams are among the more than 100 brands of cosmetics that are currently banned after they were found to contain mercury and Hydroquinone, Mercury, Steroids or Hydrogen peroxide.
“The mentioned compounds are prohibited for use in cosmetics.” KEBS said on Friday.
Hydroquinone which was previously used to manufacture skin lightening cosmetics was banned after it was linked to the prevalence of skin cancer among its users while mercury has been linked to kidney problems and the inability of the skin to fight fungal and bacterial infections.
Doctors have used creams containing steroids to treat Ezcema and other skin conditions, however bleaching creams containing the compound were after it was discovered that manufacturers of bleaching creams were putting excess quantities of the product in their creams leaving users vulnerable to a number of skin conditions including skin thinning and uncontrollable acne.
Though the ban was instituted in 2009, widespread sale and use of the products is still common in different parts of the country.
In March this year, the East African legislative assembly passed a resolution calling for the ban on bleaching creams containing hydroquinone.
