Kerala government to relaunch Operation Saundarya for curbing violations

According to a senior official with the department of drug control, many of the products available in the market neither indicate manufacturing sources nor follow protocol.
Image used for representational purpose only.
Image used for representational purpose only.
Updated on
2 min read

KOCHI: At a time when the skin-care and beauty products market is seeing exponential growth, the health ministry and the department of drugs control, which have voiced their concerns over the easy availability of low-quality cosmetics, have announced the relaunch of an initiative that helped authorities clamp down on products manufactured in violation of the Cosmetics Rules, 2020.

Operation Saundarya was first initiated over two phases in 2023. An initiative of the state drug control department, it targeted manufacturing units without proper licences and necessary protocol.

Recently, Health Minister Veena George, in a Facebook post, had warned against the use of poor-quality cosmetic products. She also teased the relaunch of Operation Saundarya, considering the growing market for cosmetic products in the state.

According to a senior official with the department of drug control, many of the products available in the market neither indicate manufacturing sources nor follow protocol. “In the samples of products, especially face creams, that were sent for testing, we found high levels of mercury,” he said, adding that while the allowed mercury level is only one parts per million (ppm), many of the products were found to contain up to 12,000 ppm of mercury.

Dr Faizal M M, a consultant dermatologist based in Kochi, said people’s craze for fairness creams creates a good market for these products. “Most of these products are not prescribed by doctors and are bought from pharmacies and cosmetics shops. The quality of such products is questionable,” he said, adding that these products have high levels of metal-mercury content. “Mercury inhibits production of the skin pigment melanin, making the skin lighter,” Dr Faizal said.

According to Dr Anuradha Kakkanatt, former secretary of the Kerala chapter of the Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists, and Leprologists (IADVL), the steroid content in fairness creams can also be harmful for the skin. “People may not be aware of the damage these chemicals create. It is better to consult a doctor before using fairness creams,” she said.

Awareness should be created to prevent companies manufacturing low-quality products from flourishing, the drugs control department official said. “The public should examine the content of products and details of the manufacturer. We should not fall for advertisements, claims or low-priced products. Moreover, consulting a dermatologist before purchasing a product can help,” the official added.

Dr Faizal said low-quality skin products can lead to adverse side effects. “When we apply these products, the skin absorbs the heavy metal content in them, which then gets mixed in the blood, thereby affecting the functioning of kidneys and even the brain. So when we choose a fairness cream, we should be careful about its ingredients and content,” he emphasised, adding that consumers should also be careful to examine expiry dates to avoid skin-related issues.

SUCCESS STORY

In the first phase of Operation Saundarya

Rs 7 lakh worth of products seized

33 cases registered

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