Hazardous Products: Mercury in Soaps and Creams

Certain skin-lightening creams and medicated soaps can contain harmful levels of mercury. Colorism, prejudice in favor of lighter skin tones, can be the motivation behind skin lightening. People who use skin lightening creams and soaps containing mercury can put their health at risk.

Mercury is a harmful metal that can damage the skin, nervous system, and kidneys. People who have been exposed to mercury may not look or feel sick, but repeated exposures can result in skin rash, tingling or numbness, tremors, irritability, memory loss and depression. Mercury poisoning can be especially harmful to children, affect a fetus, and increase the risk of miscarriage during pregnancy. The longer and more often someone uses products containing mercury, the greater the health risk.

Mercury can enter the body when these products are applied to the skin. People who are not using the products themselves can also be exposed to the harmful effects of mercury by breathing in vapors released by the products and by coming into contact with bed linens, towels, or other clothing contaminated by the products.

How to Identify Dangerous Soaps and Creams

Skin lightening products containing mercury may be available for sale over the counter or on the Internet. These types of products are banned in the United States. These products are described as beauty creams, pearl creams, skin bleaching, fading, evening, brightening, or whitening products. They are usually marketed as treatments for uneven skin tone, acne, age spots, freckles and wrinkles. Mercury is usually not listed as an ingredient on product packaging.

Products that list mercury as an ingredient should be avoided. However, products may contain mercury, even if it is not listed as an ingredient on the label. Products listed below have been found to contain high levels of mercury and should be avoided. New Yorkers should also avoid products that:

  • Do not list any active ingredients, or have missing or incomplete ingredient lists
  • Are manufactured abroad
  • Are called “beauty creams,” “pearl creams,” or “whitening creams” and claim to treat freckles, age spots, wrinkles, acne, or uneven skin tone

Listed below are some skin-lightening creams and medicated soaps that have been found to contain high levels of mercury. Click on the warning sign links to print signs.

Call 311 to report sales of these prohibited products in NYC stores.

Products Made in Pakistan

Product Name  Manufacturer 
Al-Riyan Beauty Cream
Al-Riyan Group
Chandni Whitening Cream
SJ Enterprises
Crave Sparking Glow Beauty Cream
Beauty Fair International
Due Beauty Cream
Kreative Cosmetics (Pvt) Ltd.
Face Fresh Beauty Cream
Shaheen Cosmetics
Face Fresh Gold Beauty Cream
Shaheen Cosmetics
Faiza No 1 Beauty Cream
A.M. Cosmetics
Faiza Beauty Cream
Poonia Brothers
Golden Pearl Beauty Cream
Golden Pearl Cosmetics
Golden Star Beauty Cream
Golden Star A. R. Cosmetics Co.
Goree Beauty Cream
Goree Cosmetics (Pvt.) Ltd.
Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene
Goree Cosmetics (Pvt.) Ltd.
Hi Glow Anti-Marks Whitening Cream
Beauty Icon International
Infocus Professional Herbal Beauty Cream
Infocus Cosmetology Co.
Infocus Professional Pearl Beauty Cream
Infocus Cosmetology Co.
Jhalak Premium Beauty Cream
Beauty Icon International
Kanza Beauty Cream
Noorani & Company
Magic Touch Beauty Cream
N/A
Neelam Pearl Beauty Cream
Neelam Industries
Orbi 20 Whitening Cream
White Gold International
Parley Goldie Advanced Beauty Cream
Khyber Chemical (Pvt.) Ltd
Sajal Gold Beauty Cream
Modern Cosmetics
Samaviya with Rice Milk Whitening Cream
Samaviya Cosmetics
Sandal Whitening Beauty Cream
MMC Cosmetics (Pvt.) Ltd.
Seven Herbal Ubtan Cream
C.P.H.L.
Stillman’s Freckle Cream
Stillman Company Inc., USA
Stillman’s Skin Bleach Cream
Stillman Company Inc., USA
White Pearl Plus Extra Whitening Treatment Cream
White Pearl Cosmetics International
Zayba Gold Beauty Cream
PGL Lab
Zuni Beyoutiful Beauty Cream
Zuni USA LLC.

Products Made in Lebanon

Product Name  Manufacturer 
Diana Cream
Diana de Beauté

Products Made in Spain

Product Name  Manufacturer 
Niuma Medicated Antiseptic Soap Niuma Belleza
Niuma Lemon Medicated Germicidal Soap Niuma Belleza

Products Made in Dominican Republic

Product Name  Manufacturer 
Crema Santa N/A
Crema Santa Germicida N/A
Dermaline Beauty Cream N/A
Dermaline Skin Cream N/A
Dermaline Skin Whitening Cream N/A
Jabon Germicida Contifarma (soap) N/A
Miss Key Crema Blanqueadora N/A
Pomada Salva-Vida (balm) N/A
Recetas de la Farmacia Normal–Crema Blanqueadora N/A

Products Made in Jamaica

Product Name  Manufacturer 
Deluxe Nadinola Bleaching Cream N/A

Products Made in Thailand

Product Name  Manufacturer 
My White Whitening Keratin Night Cream Three Smile Limited Partnership
Nano Extra White Whitening Cream with Papaya and Carrot plus Glutathione Krungthep D-NE Co., Ltd.
Wow White-Me Bee Venom - White Snail Cream for Radiant Skin Nature Cosmetics and Products Co., Ltd.

Products Made in European Economic Community

Product Name  Manufacturer 
Germicida 200 (soap) N/A

Unknown Place of Manufacture

Product Name  Manufacturer 
Al-Hijab Whitening Cream
Sheikh Abdulkhalik & Sons
Creme Diana
ETS. Diana De Beaute-Beyrouth
Due Beauty Cream
Kreative Cosmetics (Pvt.) Ltd.
Infocus Professional Skin Whitening Cream
Infocus Cosmetology Co.
Magia Blanca de Michelle Marie Crema Blanqueadora N/A
Nufutong
N/A
Pre-Age Beauty Cream
Kreative Cosmetics
Stillman’s Freckle Cream
The Stillman Company (Pvt.) Ltd.
White Gold Anti-Marks Cream
Whitegold France
Zoya Beauty Cream Gold
Beauty Concerns International
Zuni Gold Finest Beauty Cream
Zuni USA LLC.

If You Have Used These Products

Immediately stop using skin-lightening creams and medicated soaps that contain elevated mercury or list mercury as an ingredient.

If you use non-prescription products to lighten your skin or for skin disorders or are experiencing symptoms of mercury exposure, talk to your doctor and ask for a blood and urine mercury test. If you do not have a doctor, call 311.

Appropriately dispose of mercury containing products. Do not throw these products in the trash. Place unused product(s) in a sealed plastic bag until they can be disposed of properly at a SAFE Disposal Event. Thoroughly wash your hands and other exposed body parts that touched the products. You should wash surfaces that came into contact with these products.

Be sure to keep these and other hazardous consumer products out of reach of children.

For more information about mercury and health, call the NYC Poison Center 24/7 at (212) POISONS (764-7667). Interpretation is available for people who speak languages other than English.

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