Kanebo, the Japanese cosmetics manufacturer, confirmed on Thursday that they will recollect the skin whitening products from different countries in Asia after receiving complaints about skin damages such as white patches and uneven colouring. The company believes that their exclusively developed 4HPB substance causes the damage to the user's skin.

"Some consumers complained that they had white patches on their skin after using the products, and we suspect a link between the condition and 4HPB," a Kanebo spokeswoman stated. Additionally, the Japanese cosmetics maker suspects as well that the ingredient in question is the quasi-drug Rhododenol.

"The products, including the Kanebo Blanshir Superior and White Deep series of cosmetics, use a whitening chemical substance called 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone, which Kanebo has named Rhododenol," the company declared in a press release.

According to Kanebo, the substance in question has received the stamp of approval from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare after going through broad safety tests in compliance to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act. However, the probability that the ingredient is associated to the skin blotching on customers already became a sufficient ground for the Japanese cosmetics manufacturer to gather back all of the distributed skin products that include it.

Kanebo Cosmetics Inc. will be recollecting the 450,000 products such as face lotions and emulsions that were already sold as well as the inventory on both the domestic and worldwide markets. Aside from Japan, the other countries affected with the Kanebo products recall are Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines and Vietnam.

A number of Kanebo products being recollected comes from their Blanchir Superior, Suisai, Twany, Impress and Aqualeaf brands. Customers who have inquiries about the Kanebo products recollection are being persuaded to contact the Japanese company through the listings on their Web site www.kanebo.com.

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