The “gluta drip” issue started unwittingly by a senator’s wife has made it to foreign shores.
Health risks and scam complaints associated with glutathione-based skincare products from Manila have reached parts of West Africa.
An Ivorian trader promoting a brand named Glutax told Agence France Presse (AFP) a wholesaler in Manila was behind the products.
Manila is home to a dizzying number of retailers supplying the African market with skin-whitening products.
Further online searches showed the existence of a Manila-based firm called Glutax.
Contacted by AFP, the company confirmed it was headquartered in the capital and was a global distributor of bleaching treatments.
Glutathione-based injectables are banned for use in the Philippines because of their “potential danger or harm to health.”
The Department of Health earlier warned “there are no published clinical trials that have evaluated the use of injectable glutathione for skin lightening.”
“There are also no published guidelines for appropriate dosing regimens and duration of treatment. The FDA has not approved any injectable products of skin lightening,” the DOH said.
In her quest for “fair skin,” an Ivorian YouTuber recently visited a market stall in Abidjan to receive several injections promoted as containing whitening agents.
The influencer, who asked to remain anonymous, waited 10 days in vain to see any results.
“Clearly, I’ve been ripped off,” she said.
The young woman is one of a growing number of customers across West Africa, who seek to reduce the melanin in their skin because being fair is associated with higher status, privilege and beauty.
The global market value for bleaching treatments is projected to jump from an estimated $10 billion in 2021 to $16 billion in 2030. With AFP
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline ‘Gluta drip’ issue reaches West Africa as scam complaints, health fears rise