‘This £3.50 Primark cleanser caused my daughter’s skin to peel off – it was like something out of a horror movie’

Aleena Brown claims her daughter Amelia, 11, suffered agonising pain after using the PS… Jelly Facial Cleanser gifted in her Christmas stocking, though Primark says the product meets all safety standards

A furious mum has hit out at Primark after alleging her daughter endured a horrific allergic reaction to one of the retailer’s face washes.

Aleena Brown claims 11 year old Amelia was rushed to Bristol Children’s Hospital for urgent care last week when her face ballooned and her skin “started peeling off”.

The mother believes the shocking reaction was triggered by Primark’s PS… Jelly Facial Cleanser – a Christmas stocking filler her daughter had been given.

Ms Brown revealed that Amelia was chatting to mates on FaceTime last week when she decided to try the £3.50 product, which allegedly began making her daughter’s face feel “tingly” straight away.

The mum insists Amelia hadn’t applied anything else to her skin and it was her first time using this particular cleanser, reports Bristol Live.

“She went to the bathroom and washed five or six times and told me the burning [sensation] was starting to get really bad. She is not allergic to anything and has never had a reaction before, but she didn’t sleep well that night so we assumed she was having a little reaction to the cleanser.

“She asked for the day off in the morning and I am usually really militant about school, but it looked very sore so we popped to the GP.”

Ms Brown explained that the doctor prescribed Amelia an antihistamine.

However, when she awoke the next morning, Ms Brown said her daughter’s face had “doubled in size” and she was “in a lot of pain”.

She then rushed Amelia to Royal United Hospital in Bath where medics administered a more potent antihistamine. “After that her skin started to dry out and get really tight,” revealed Ms Brown.

“Wednesday was sort of okay, but by Thursday it was something from a horror movie.

“It looked like a burn and she was crying ‘mummy’, so we went to the minor injuries unit at Trowbridge Community Hospital. The doctor took one look and referred us to Bristol Children’s Hospital.”

Ms Brown explained she handed over the cleanser’s ingredients to the dermatology department and her daughter’s skin was swabbed for analysis, though she’s still awaiting the results.

“All the skin, the whole epidermal layer, is peeling off her face. She has to have a thick layer of Vaseline on every day and it’s incredibly itchy.

“She has been left very red, swollen, puffy, sore, and has experienced a strong burning sensation. She is struggling to eat due to the swelling. It’s so scary and we are very keen to warn and safeguard other parents and children.”

Bristol Live has learnt that Primark examined the particular batch of PS…Jelly Facial Cleansers with its supplier, with all tests meeting the required safety and quality standards and no problems found.

It’s also understood the product has previously been subjected to independent dermatological assessment, including trials on sensitive skin panels and a 96-hour patch test, and complies with all relevant UK and EU cosmetic safety regulations. Primark has shifted several thousand units of PS…Jelly Facial Cleansers to date, with Bristol Live learning that reports of such severe reactions are exceptionally uncommon.

A Primark representative stated: “We take the safety and quality of our products very seriously and work closely with our suppliers and quality team to ensure they meet strict safety standards. As well as this, all of our cosmetic products are assessed by qualified safety experts before going on sale. We’re sorry to hear about the experience of this customer and are in touch with them to fully investigate this.”

Ms Brown, who is returning with Amelia to Bristol Children’s Hospital on Thursday for additional treatment at the burns unit, expresses her broader “concerned” regarding the “level of testing going into pocket-money priced products”, like the one Amelia applied.

“The dermatology team have said it could be a combination of ingredients that caused the reaction, but they don’t know which ones. I just don’t want this nightmare to happen to anyone else.”

Ms Brown, a Trowbridge resident, acknowledges the batch in question has undergone investigation but is demanding more extensive testing of this specific Primark product.

She remains uncertain about her daughter’s recovery timeline, with Amelia being kept away from school “due to the risk of infection”. “It’s a case of wait and see for Amelia; the doctors said it could be a week, two-to-four weeks or a couple of months before it heals. She is taking liquid ibuprofen to ease the pain.”

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