Skin Functional product low quality, no accountability
I purchased the 0.1% Retinaldehyde serum by South African brand, Skin Functional, from a local retailer in January 2022. Immediately after the first use, I noticed that my eyes felt very dry. The pamphlet said there is an adjustment period when starting a new product, therefore, thinking this would subside after a few day/weeks, I continued to use the product. Despite using it as instructed, 2 to 3 times per week and only at night, my symptoms continued to worsen. After 2 months, I decided to stop using the product in the hopes that my eyes would return to normal. Now, several years later, I am still suffering from chronic dry eye syndrome as a direct result of using this product. It is medically documented that vitamin A derivatives affect the oil-producing cells in the body, with a growing body of research in more recent years illuminating the toxic effects of (topical) retinoids on meibomian glands - which are responsible for producing the oil component of tears.
After using this product as per instructions and for a period of only 2 months, my eyes have been permanently damaged and I have to use eye drops several times a day just to cope.
I contacted the company around the end of 2022, at which time it was clear to me that I had been left with chronic damage from using their product. Their response was dismissive and they even went so far as to imply that I was at fault since the instructions state to discontinue use if irritation occurs. They deny any liability, stating that their products are manufactured according to guidelines, dermatologically tested and approved by various oversight bodies, such as in the EU. However, my injury is ophthalmological in nature, not dermatological, therefore this means little to me. I will point out that I had no lasting adverse dermatological effect. The company still refuses to acknowledge, or even consider, what I have explained very clearly to them and they state that I am ill-informed, which is very insulting.
After receiving a serious complaint about a very serious adverse side effect, at no point did the company offer to take the product back to undergo inspection or testing to make sure it was not faulty in any way, something I find quite irresponsible.
I sought advice from various experts, both lawyers and people in the medical field, and I was informed that litigating this kind of case is extremely difficult (in my country, maybe not so in other countries), and it would be very difficult to prove my claim against Skin Functional. As a result, I decided to lodge a complaint with the National Consumer Commission. Their investigation concluded in July 2026 that I failed to prove a direct causal link and that the company is not liable, which was not a surprise. This is of course an injustice, in my opinion, but there is little else I can do, other than to post my experience online to inform other consumers.
The lawyers advised me that a case like this would be easier to bring against the company in question if it were a class action, therefore, if any person has experienced a severe adverse reaction from using Skin Functional products, I encourage you to report it.