Shop owner fined £8,500 after selling illegal skin lightening cream

The owner of a cosmetics shop has been fined after it was discovered to be selling an illegal cream that could cause severe burns. 

Bexley Magistrates Court fined Ms Adetola Amao, owner of New Hair London in Woolwich, a total £8,515.50.

An undercover officer working for the council’s trading standards team discovered illegal skin lightening cream at the shop.

When it was analysed it was found to contain steroids which, without proper control or regulation by a doctor or pharmacist, can have extremely harmful side effects – including severe burns.

On February 18, 2021, the business sold an illegal skin lightening cream to an undercover test purchaser. 

A week later the business was visited again and 105 cosmetics products were seized.

Other cosmetics were found which did not have labels with the correct ingredients.

This means that if users have an allergic reaction, they have no-one to contact and the manufacturer has no way to monitor the safety of their products. 

Jackie Smith, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Enforcement, said: “Skin lightening creams can be extremely dangerous and cause horrific burns.

“Businesses who flout the law by selling these dangerous and illegal products risk prosecution, heavy fines and imprisonment. As this case shows, we will come down hard on those who put people at risk.”

In an earlier hearing, Ms Amao was fined £350 with £350 costs and a victim surcharge of £50 in relation to the Covid breach on February 18, 2021.

On December 22, 2021, she was fined a further £3500 plus £4075.50 costs, and £190 victim surcharge in relation to the cosmetic offences.

Residents concerned about a business selling dangerous products can contact the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s Trading Standards team on 020 8921 8223 or visit www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/tradingstandards.