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SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is an inactive attorney in San Mateo County, California.

July 3, 2022

BLACK SALVE SCAM

Courtesy US Food and Drug Administration

Scammers are selling certain salves or creams containing an ingredient commonly known as “black salve”. The claim is it will cure cancer, boils, moles and skin tags or non-cancerous, growths of the skin. These claims are false.

Black salve is an alternative therapy increasingly chosen by patients to self-manage their skin lesions. Black Salve is an informal term not approved by FDA.

 Salve products containing corrosive ingredients, including black salve, are dangerous and not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA is warning consumers not to use any salves or other topically applied products that list any of the following potentially dangerous ingredients: sanguinarine, Sanguinaria canadensis, or bloodroot, alone or in combination with zinc chloride.

It is also sold under such names as Skinprov, drawing salve, red salve, Cansema, bloodroot, Indian Herb, Hawk Dok Natural Salve, Black Drawing Ointment, and many others. The product comes in many forms including salve, paste, cream and poultice (soft, moist material applied to wound).

Watch out for the following red flags:

Salve products may come with any of  the following names: black salve, drawing salve, red salve, Cansema, bloodroot, Indian Herb, Hawk Dok Natural Salve, Black Drawing Ointment, and many others.

Other Things You Can Do to Stay Safe

Contact your health care professional or dermatologist if you have any concerns about skin cancer or other skin-related issues. Be sure to tell them about any products, including herbal or other “natural” products, that you may be using for any skin-related issues.

Do not use black salve or salve products that contain sanguinarine, Sanguinaria canadensis, or bloodroot, alone or in combination with zinc chloride, as an alternative to proven medical therapies. This can result in permanent disfigurement, in the worst case, death.

To report adverse events or side effects related to the use of these products, health care professionals and consumers can:

Complete and submit an online report at MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program, or

Call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the form to the address on the form, or by faxing it to 1-800-FDA-0178.