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.
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:
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. |
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.