A version of a face mask sold in Watsons stores in Shanghai contains illegal hormones, according to an investigation by the city's food and drug watchdog.
The mask named "Snail Skin-lifting Mask" was produced by Beauty Plus (Shanghai) Cosmetics Company. It was detected to contain clobetasol propionate - a glucocorticoid hormone.
Glucocorticoid hormones are widely used by doctors to reduce skin inflammation as well as for whitening and rejuvenation. However, long-term users may suffer black spots on face, skin atrophy and thinning, or even hormone-dependent dermatitis.
Watsons officials responded that the company has already removed all the unqualified masks from their shelves across the country and promised to implement stricter quality management mechanisms to guarantee all its products are legal and qualified.
In 2013, Watsons China recalled its own brand of a whitening face mask across the country after it was claimed that a 40-year-old woman in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, died after using it.
Although the results of an investigation eventually proved that health problems were the main cause of the woman's death, the mask concerned was removed and recalled by Watsons stores, causing negative publicity for the brand.
