The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( ) has warned consumers to avoid using certain chemical skin peels due to their potential to cause chemical burns and "disfiguring scars.
" The FDA has issued warning letters to major retailers to stop selling these treatments, adding that consumers should only consider using chemical peel products under the supervision of a dermatologist or licensed practitioner. Chemical peels are cosmetic procedures that remove the top layers of the skin. They are used to treat wrinkles, discoloration and scars.
Many of these products, which can be purchased in stores and online, contain ingredients such as trichloroacetic acid, glycolic acid, salicylic acid and lactic acid in concentrations that are "too high to be used safely at home without supervision," the FDA said in a statement. "The agency has not approved any chemical peel products," the FDA added. "Using products that contain high concentrations of these acids may lead to serious injury from chemical burns.
"The concentration, number of applications, and length of time a chemical peel product is left on the skin all influence how deeply it can penetrate skin layers and potentially lead to chemical burns." The agency added that the products may also cause pain, swelling, infection, skin color changes, and "disfiguring scars." The FDA has so far issued warning letters to , , Isis.
Gold, Matte Beauty, Skin Beauty Solutions and Repair Skincare with regards to selling the following products. "We are committed to offering high-quality products and require that products offered for sale by third-party sellers on our marketplace meet FDA regulatory requirements," a spokesperson from Walmart told "As soon as we were made aware, we removed the products and terminated the seller [from our website]." contacted the other companies on the list and the FDA by email.
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