Low-cost cosmetics cause skin cancer

Low cost cosmetic companies used banned chemicals and harmful whitening agents in their products which might lead to skin cancer and allergies, a report said on Sunday. The Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) issued a report that cosmetic manufacturers used steroids and mercury salts in whitening creams which led to skin cancer and left dark spots on the skin. The report said that various imported bath soaps contained toxic metals, minerals and arsenic oxides which might affect the nervous system.
Chemicals such as linear alkyl benzene and sulphonic acid were used in carpet manufacturing and for washing vehicles and wiping floors but low cost shampoo manufacturers used these chemicals along with the banned chemical PPD in shampoos and hair dyes which might cause permanent hair fall, allergic reactions and skin cancer, the report added.