Anti-ageing product falls into regulatory trap

Consumers are urged to purchase the product from the company website to 'find out just how good it is and what all the fuss has been about'. Anti-ageing formulation containing ignotine ​ The product, Ethos Rejuvion, is a topical anti-ageing formulation containing an ingredient ignotine, which according to the manufacturers Ethos World, allows the product to rejuvenate cells and extend their life cycle. The Swiss-based company said the ingredient (INCI name carnosine) has strong antioxidant properties and helps prevent collagen from cross linking, which leads to a loss of elasticity. It is this ingredient that is causing the controversy according to Ethos, leading the Norwegian Health Authorities to classify the product as a medicine to be prescribed by doctors. This is not the first time the company has run in to trouble with the authorities. A previous product Miracle Eye Drops that contained the same ingredient claimed to 'literally dissolve cataracts' and came into similar regulatory problems as did the company's Miracle Hangover Cure product. "Our main challenge is that all of our products work just that little bit too well, which ultimately results in them being classified as a medicine and thus being banned from sale,"​ said Ethos World CEO Peter Aldred. Even if the product is banned in Europe consumers will still be able to order it from the Swiss company, as Switzerland is outside the EU and its regulations, explained Aldred. Blurred boundaries between cosmetics and drugs ​ Ethos Rejuvion is the latest in a line of products to be questioned over their status as a drug or a cosmetic. Recent cases have involved two eyelash conditioning products that contain bimatoprost - an ingredient licensed for use in glaucoma drugs - manufactured by US-based Jan Marini Skin Research and Athena cosmetics. In November the FDA seized around $2m worth of Jan Marini's Age Intervention Eyelash Enhancer calling it an unapproved and misbranded drug because it contained this ingredient and claimed to actually increase eyelash growth. Days later Athena voluntarily withdrew its Revitalash product citing 'possible public concern over bimatoprost'.