The Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH) has banned two cosmetic products after finding they contained harmful scheduled poisons. The affected items are JC Beauty Culture Radiance Renewal Serum and The Perfect Derma Cream, whose product notifications have been revoked by the Director of Pharmacy Services.
Laboratory tests confirmed that the serum contained hydroquinone and tretinoin, while the cream contained miconazole—all substances classified as medicines that require professional supervision. The MOH warned that unsupervised use of hydroquinone can trigger skin redness, discomfort, and discolouration, while tretinoin may cause peeling, pain, and heightened sensitivity to sunlight. Misuse of miconazole could also increase resistance, lowering its effectiveness against infections.
In addition, the Drug Control Authority flagged Chang-Sze-Long Badu Gao, a traditional patch product, for containing excessive mercury levels. Its registration has been revoked and the product withdrawn from the market. Mercury exposure poses serious health risks, including kidney and nervous system damage, developmental harm to children, and skin conditions such as rashes and discolouration.
It is reported that The Perfect Derma posted on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu stating that the product does not contain miconazole. The brand also emphasized that since its establishment, none of its formulations have ever included miconazole or any other prohibited substances. In response to the report, the brand has sent the product for testing at a certified third-party laboratory.
