Health Canada is warning Canadian consumers who use Skin-Cap Spray to contact their doctor as soon as possible, because the spray has been found to contain an undisclosed high-potency steroid.

Skin-Cap was allowed back on the Canadian market as an over-the-counter (OTC) anti-dandruff treatment in January 2000. But a recall was initiated after Health Canada tested the product and found a form of betamethasone, a potent prescription topical steroid.

Misuse of potent steroids can cause serious side effects, and sudden discontinuation of such steroids can cause skin diseases, including psoriasis, to flare badly. People using Skin-Cap should seek a doctor's help in finding an alternative treatment.

Health Canada, the Canadian health policy and regulatory agency, reports that Skin-Cap spray is manufactured in Europe and distributed in Canada by Dermalabs, Inc., of Ontario. For more information, see the Health Canada press release regarding Skin-Cap. The NPF has also issued a press release about Skin-Cap's recall.

Additional resources on topical steroids are available on this Web site and in an educational booklet available to NPF members and the public. You can contact the NPF by e-mail or at (800) 723-9166 for more assistance.

Skin-Cap originally banned in 1997

Health Canada also issued a recall of Skin-Cap products in August 1997, when testing found another high-potency steroid (clobetasol). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration initiated the ban of Skin-Cap at that time, and the sale of Skin-Cap products is still not permitted in the U.S. market.

The NPF is summarizing its two-year investigation into Skin-Cap in an article that will appear in the NPF's March/April 2000 Bulletin. It will be posted on this Web site in the coming weeks.

For additional details on the history of Skin-Cap, see the Skin-Cap Q&A from August 1997.

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