The law regarding cosmetic registrations is not optimal, according to the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA).

Speaking to The Sunday Morning yesterday (6), NMRA Chairman Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama said the law regarding cosmetics was not very sound at the moment.

“This is why there are a lot of unregistered products in the market,” he added.

According to Dr. Wijewickrama, cosmetic products were previously regulated by the Cosmetics, Devices, and Drugs Act (CDDA), which was later changed to establish the NMRA.

“When this act was changed to establish the NMRA, the policy decision was made to establish a separate cosmic regulatory body or agency. That is why it was purposefully separated from the NMRA,” he stated.

However, neither a separate agency nor act had been formulated or passed for submission to the Parliament after the initial change in 2015.

Dr. Wijewickrama added that the health authorities were currently drafting an act regarding cosmetic products.

As Sri Lanka currently lacks a specific legal act or framework to regulate such products, legal action against unregistered products has been hindered.

Beauty products, including skin whitening creams that were endorsed by model Piumi Hansamali, are reportedly not registered with the NMRA. 

“Lacking any sort of registration, the products that are being used contain high levels of heavy metals such as mercury,” Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) Media Spokesman Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe said.

“The globally accepted quantity is less than one mg of such substances for 1 kg of product. We have investigations that report 65,000 mg per kg in locally manufactured cosmetics. Some products have 42,980 mg of heavy metals per kg,” Dr. Wijesinghe said.  

He also emphasised the dangers caused to one’s skin due to the long-term usage of such products.