The Philippines on Saturday banned skin whitening products made by Kanebo Cosmetics Inc. after the company discontinued and recalled them Thursday following consumer complaints of white blotches appearing on their skin.
The Philippine Food and Drug Administration, in a statement, said it has withdrawn market authorization for all Kanebo products containing Rhododenol, a quasi-drug ingredient also known as 4HPB.
Kanebo's local office announced Friday via Facebook that it was voluntarily recalling 17 skin care products sold in the Philippines that contain the implicated ingredient.
It advised consumers to immediately stop using those products, even as it said Rhododenol has not been officially or medically confirmed to be the real cause of the white patches and no such cases have arisen in the Philippines.