Health Canada has completed a safety review of human health products and veterinary drugs containing gentian violet and has found that exposure to these products may increase the risk of cancer. Given the seriousness of this risk, Health Canada is advising Canadians to stop using all human and veterinary drug products containing gentian violet.

Gentian violet is an antiseptic dye used to treat fungal infections. Products containing gentian violet have been used on the skin, on mucous membranes (inside the nose, mouth or vagina), on open wounds, or on the nipple of a nursing mother to treat oral thrush in infants.

Health Canada’s risk assessment of medical devices containing gentian violet found that the gentian violet is unlikely to come into direct contact with the skin. Therefore, these products do not pose an increased risk of cancer when used for a short time and in most people, and they remain on the market in Canada. However, you should not use dressings containing gentian violet for longer than six months, or if you are pregnant or nursing.