The Food and Drug Administration is warning the public against buying and using Silka Papaya Whitening Lotion SPF 30.

After post-marketing surveillance, it has been verified that the product is being sold without a valid Certificate of Product Notification from the FDA. This means the FDA cannot assure the quality and safety of the product and may even pose some health risk to the consumer.

These potential hazards may come from ingredients that are not allowed to be part of a cosmetic product or from contamination of heavy metals. The FDA stressed that the use of substandard and possibly adulterated cosmetic products may cause skin irritation, itchiness, anaphylactic shock and even, organ failure.

Because of the risks posed to the public, the FDA has also warned establishments NOT to distribute and pull out from their shelves Silka Papaya Whitening Lotion SPF 30 and other violative products which have not undergone FDA's notification process.

To report any sale, distribution, complaint and/or any adverse effect resulting from the use of Silka Papaya Whitening Lotion and other violative cosmetic products, you can access the online reporting facility, eReport at ereport@fda.gov.ph or call the Center for Cosmetics and Household/Urban Hazardous Substances regulation and research hotline (02) 8857-1900 local 8113 or 8107.

To make sure that a product has gone through FDA's notification, simply go to FDA's Verification Portal feature at https://verification.fda.gov.ph.