Caretaker Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Health, Dr. Jamal Nasir has announced a crackdown on harmful beauty creams and cosmetics.
Operations will be conducted against unqualified indi-viduals administering beauty injections or performing any kind of surgery. Joint teams from the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) and the Drug Control Directorate are being formed for this purpose. The Drug Control will determine the registration status of beauty creams and cosmetics, while experts from the PHC will assess clinical practices. This information was shared by the minister in a press conference held here on Friday. He stated that non-standard creams claiming to lighten skin are causing diseases, adding that the use of substandard beauty creams is causing severe damage to the skin of hundreds of individuals. He said that some cosmetics contain dangerous amounts of lead, toxins, and other harmful chemicals, leading to life-threatening diseases such as liver and kidney cancer. Dr. Nasir revealed that drug testing is being conducted on 24 well-known brands in a laboratory, and strict action will be taken against them if harmful chemicals are found. Emphasizing health preservation principles, Dr. Jamal Nasir mentioned the screening of beauty parlors to ensure compliance with health standards. He expressed concern about the increasing use of harmful cosmetics in Pakistan and urged a zero-tolerance approach against damaging beauty creams and cosmetics. A survey of beauty parlors will also be conducted concerning hepatitis control, with 70,000 barber shops surveyed in Punjab. DG Health, Dr. Ilyas Gondal, DG Drugs Muhammad Sohail and relevant officials were present.
