Amazon, Walmart and others have been selling unsafe skin peels on their websites.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published warning letters to Amazon, Walmart, Matte Beauty, Repare Skincare, ISIS.GOLD and Skin Beauty Solutions on Tuesday, saying there have been reports of injuries because of skin peels they sold, including some requiring emergeny room visits, special care from a dermatologist and surgical intrevention.
"Such products pose a public health risk because they can cause skin injuries such as burns on the area of application, wounds, pain, swelling, and scarring," the FDA said.
The main product in question is the "Skin Beauty Solutions lactic acid skin peel 90%," aimed at addressing issues such as acne, scarring and removing dead skin cells. But there are likely many other similar products.
The FDA said the product is considered a new drug under law, which means it can't be legally sold without an approved application from the agency.
"We are committed to offering high-quality products and require that products offered for sale by third-party sellers on our marketplace meet FDA regulatory requirements. As soon as we were made aware, we removed the products and terminated the seller," a Walmart spokesperson told ConsumerAffairs.
Am Amazon spokesperson told ConsumerAffairs the products have been investigated and removed.
"Safety is a top priority at Amazon," the Amazon spokesperson said. "We require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws and regulations."
Walmart, Amazon and the other companies need to explain the government how they are meeting federal laws and preventing the sale of illegal skin peel products in the future, the FDA said.