Regulators warn of skin products scraped from the skin of a live giant monkey frog and traditionally used in shamanic rituals which has been linked to deaths
Experts have warned of “snake oil” cosmetic products being sold into the UK via Amazon.
A powerful committee of MPs has investigated the unregulated “wild west” cosmetics industry in the UK including cosmetic products such as a skin cream made from poisonous frogs.
The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee heard how Kambo – a toxic and potentially deadly substance derived from the giant monkey frog – is among those being bought from illicit sellers.
Richard Knight, lead officer for cosmetics and beauty at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute said the Amazon platform was even being used by unregulated sellers and leaving Brits at risk.
He was asked by Tory MP Kit Malthouse “are there products currently available that you would snatch out of the hands of your own family if you saw them using them?” Mr Knight replied: “Kambo, which is a skin cream based on secretions from Amazonian tree frogs.”
The waxy substance harvested by scraping the skin of a live giant monkey frog was traditionally used in shamanic ritual but has been linked to deaths, seizures, liver failure and heart attacks. Amazon said it does not sell Kambo.
Richard Knight added: “So, UV nail gels, skin lighteners is another one, but in general terms, any of what I would call snake oil type products. Some are American, and people assume that American things – because of their highly litigious nature – must be safe, but they have completely different rules, they allow ingredients we wouldn’t dream of.”
Practitioners capture the nocturnal tree frog in the Amazon rainforest before tying it in a stress position to trigger its natural defense – the toxic, waxy mucus from its skin. The animal is later released. Applying Kambo to the skin is extremely dangerous and carries a high risk of severe poisoning. A number of deaths in Australia have been linked to the ancient Amazonian ritual which is promoted as an alternative therapy.
Mr Malthouse asked if there was one major retail platform “that is funneling this stuff in from overseas, and if there is, are they doing anything about it?”.
Mr Knight replied: “Amazon would be the biggest by miles. They have so many overseas sellers, which they’re not holding to account or vetting. And it’s the whack-a-mole of, we find a problem, get them to take it down, and then they crop up somewhere else.”
The Mirror is campaigning to Ban the Cosmetic Cowboys after a number of Brits contracted sepsis and some died from complications after procedures such as tummy tucks and Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs). Last month we reported on a new craze of brutal leg lengthening surgery at a clinic visited by British cosmetic tourists in Turkey with the aim of helping men gain up to an extra six inches in height.
The committee hearing saw a government minister questioned about a procedure in the UK involving injecting filler into the penis to increase its girth. The jabs usually contain hyaluronic acid and are injected into the soft tissue under the skin of the shaft to increase flaccid girth, usually by men with body image issues.
Health minister Karin Smith was asked by chair Dame Chi Onwurah about planned new laws to better regulate the industry. Dame Chi said: “This [procedure] has led to significant harms which have cost the NHS dearly, as well as the individual concerned. So do you think it’s acceptable that in this country it is legal for anyone to inject a man with a filler in his penis?”
Ms Smith replied: “No… some of these procedures and the things that people want to do to themselves, personally we may or may not [agree with them]. The issue for the government is obviously to get that right level of proportionality to make sure that any legislation captures the right thing.”
An Amazon spokesperson said: “Customer safety is a top priority at Amazon and all products offered on our store are required to comply with applicable laws, regulations, and Amazon policies.
“Prospective sellers are required to provide a government-issued photo ID, taxpayer information, and details about identity, location, bank accounts, and more – all subject to advanced technology analysing hundreds of unique datapoints alongside expert human reviewers. Where we identify a risk of fraud or abuse, we promptly initiate an investigation and swiftly remove bad actors from our store.”
