A so-called “miracle cream” that went viral among mothers for healing eczema in just three days turned out to contain potent steroids, reported Shin Min Daily News.
The company behind it claimed the product was “dermatologist-certified”, “natural”, and “safe for babies and pregnant women”, but these were all false claims.
The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) stated that it had received several reports regarding the online product “Jolicare™”. One came from a pharmacist who grew suspicious after a three-year-old’s chronic eczema suddenly improved after using the cream. Another came from a doctor who saw discussions about it in a mothers’ group chat.
When HSA tested the cream, it was found to contain strong steroids. The agency then issued a public warning urging people not to buy it.
The cream was sold by Airda Pte Ltd, which faced five charges under the Health Products Act. A company representative pleaded guilty to two of the charges on Thursday (Oct 9), while the remaining three were considered during sentencing. The court fined the company $31,000.
Court documents showed that Airda was previously known as Jolicare Pte Ltd. It was registered in Singapore on June 1, 2022, and changed its name to Airda on July 25 this year.
On September 23, 2022, HSA received a report that the Jolicare™ cream contained dexamethasone, a powerful steroid.
Between October 6 and 10, 2022, officers bought three of the company’s products from Shopee for testing. Tests confirmed that the products contained chloramphenicol (an antibiotic), clobetasol propionate and dexamethasone (both steroids), and ketoconazole (an antifungal agent).
HSA then advised the public not to buy or use the product, which was falsely advertised to treat eczema, fungal infections, and psoriasis.
The cream claimed to contain natural herbal ingredients and said that although it had a small amount of steroids, it was “dermatologist-approved” and “suitable for babies and pregnant women”.
Investigations revealed that between August and the end of October 2022, the company sold more than $170,000 worth of products.
During mitigation, the company’s representative stated that Airda had already refunded affected customers approximately $30,000 to $40,000 and promised not to repeat the offence.
Appearing in court without a lawyer, the representative told the judge,
“After the authorities issued their statement, we tried to compensate every Singaporean who reached out to us. We refunded about $30,000 to $40,000 in total.”
He added that the incident had been a difficult period for the company and pleaded for leniency, assuring the court that they would not repeat the mistake.
