New Study Finds Undeclared Prescription Steroid in Six Online Skin Products
October 9, 2026 · 4:30 p.m. ET
A study published October 8 in JAMA Network Open detected an undeclared prescription-only corticosteroid in six skin products bought through major online retail platforms. Three were marketed for skin brightening. If you use one of the named products, its ingredient label does not disclose what researchers found in the tested samples.
What the study found
Researchers screened 18 products selected for factors including claims about persistent skin conditions, ingredient labeling, consumer reviews, or similarities to previously flagged products. They detected clobetasol propionate—a superpotent prescription corticosteroid—in six. For each positive product, the researchers tested three units, and all three contained the undeclared drug.
The six products were Neoprosone gel, Neoprosone cream, Neoprosone serum, Qian Nian Qi Cao cream, Psor-Val spray, and Zudaifu cream. The Neoprosone products were marketed for brightening. The others were marketed for psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis, or combinations of those conditions. Two products also contained an undeclared antifungal ingredient.
Across the positive samples, clobetasol concentrations ranged from approximately 0.01% to 0.46%. The highest detected concentration was more than nine times the 0.05% concentration cited for FDA-approved prescription clobetasol formulations. The study’s authors warn that repeated, unsupervised exposure to potent topical corticosteroids can cause skin thinning, steroid acne, pigmentation changes, and other adverse effects. Facial and eye-area use raises particular concerns.
What this means for you
If you use one of the named products, particularly on your face or over a prolonged period, contact a healthcare professional for advice about your next step. A product’s ingredient list cannot reveal an ingredient that the seller has failed to declare.
The FDA also provides guidance on products containing hidden drug ingredients. Its database is not a complete list of every affected product, so the absence of a warning does not independently establish that a product is free of undeclared drugs.
What the study cannot tell you
This was a targeted assessment, not a random survey of online skincare. Finding hidden drugs in six of 18 selected products does not mean one-third of all online skincare products contain undeclared steroids.
The products were purchased between February and December 2025. The study does not establish what is in every batch currently sold, whether other products are affected, or how many people have experienced harm. It is a newly published research finding, not an FDA recall.
Sources
- Abilov Z, James MJ, Porter ML, Popov YV. “Undeclared Pharmacologically Active Ingredients in Over-the-Counter Skin Products.” JAMA Network Open. October 8, 2026. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.38654. This research letter reports a targeted chemical analysis of 18 online skin products, with three units tested for each positive product. Six products contained undeclared clobetasol. The authors reported no conflicts of interest. Its selected sample cannot estimate market-wide prevalence.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Avoiding Products Contaminated with Hidden Ingredients.” FDA describes the risks of hidden drug ingredients and notes that its health-fraud database covers only a fraction of affected products.