1 of 3 | The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning Americans of using certain chemical peel skin products because of a risk of serious skin injury, while issuing orders to major retailers to stop selling the treatments. File Photo courtesy of U.S. Food and Drug Administration/Flickr
Aug. 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning Americans of using certain chemical peel skin products because of a risk of serious skin injury, while issuing orders to major retailers to stop selling the treatments.
The FDA issued the warning online this week, adding consumers should only consider using the peel "under the supervision of a dermatologist or licensed and trained practitioner."
AdvertisementIt said the products do pose a public health risk.
The agency issued letters to six retailers, ordering Amazon, Walmart, Isis Gold, Matte Beauty, Skin Beauty Solutions and Repare Skincare to stop selling the products.
The FDA has not approved any chemical peel products for use and the treatments can often contain ingredients such as trichloroacetic acid, glycolic acid, salicylic acid and lactic acid.
The products often contain concentrations of those ingredients too high to be used safely at home without professional supervision. Doing so without a professional can lead to serious skin injuries.
Matte Beauty was selling five of the products targeted by the FDA, the largest number of the six retailers. Skin Beauty Solutions had the second-most with three.
AdvertisementProducts cited in the FDA bulletin are typically marketed for use to treat acne, discoloration, wrinkles, and stimulate collagen production.
"These products remove layers of skin to varying depths and may cause severe chemical burns, pain, swelling, infection, skin color changes, and disfiguring scars. These injuries may even require emergency care or specialty care from a dermatologist or surgeon." the FDA said in its warning.
"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 FDA is encouraging anyone who has suffered a skin injury related to the use of skin peel products to contact its MedWatch reporting program.
