Vietnam orders nationwide recall of Acnes face wash, Kleen hand wash

The Drug Administration of Vietnam on Tuesday said it halted circulation of a batch of Vitamin Acnes facial cleanser and a batch of Kleen Hand Wash with green tea fragrance following quality tests conducted at a Go! supermarket in Hanoi.

The Acnes product recalled is a 50-gram tube of Vitamin Acnes facial cleanser, batch number EB01B, manufactured and marketed by Rohto-Mentholatum Vietnam, while the Kleen hand wash recalled is a 500ml bottle, batch number 002, produced by Saigon Cosmetics Corp.

Laboratory results showed both products contained sodium benzoate, an ingredient not listed in the formulations previously submitted to regulators.

Sodium benzoate is a commonly used preservative, though undeclared use or improper levels can raise safety concerns.

The Kleen hand wash sample also did not contain phenoxyethanol, a preservative declared on the product label, the agency said.

The regulator ordered all affected batches to be withdrawn from sale nationwide and destroyed, and instructed provincial and municipal health departments to oversee the recall, notify retailers, and handle violations in accordance with regulations.

The two manufacturers were ordered to notify distributors, retrieve affected products, and report the recall results by February 13, the agency said.