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Federal health officials are warning consumers to avoid a growing number of skin lightening products found to contain mercury, hydroquinone or both ingredients, indicating the cosmetics may pose serious health risks and are being sold through major online marketplaces despite longstanding safety concerns.
Skin bleaching, once widely condemned and pushed into the shadows in Ghana, is making a quiet but noticeable comeback; this time in more sophisticated and less obvious forms.
While the era of visibly over-bleached skin and crude whitening creams appeared to decline following public health campaigns and government crackdowns, a new generation of skin-lightening products has emerged under the guise of "glow," "tone correction," and "brightening."
The Mandate Secretary for Health and Environmental Services at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, has expressed concern over the increasing prevalence of skin bleaching in Nigeria, warning of its serious public health implications.
Dr Fasawe raised the alarm in Abuja during the screening of a documentary focused on promoting safer beauty practices and challenging harmful social standards.
A new WHO behavioural insights toolkit is supporting countries to better understand and address the drivers of harmful skin‑lightening practices, strengthening efforts to eliminate mercury‑containing cosmetics and protect public health.
The Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) has suspended the licenses of six beauty cream brands after they were found to be in violation of safety and quality standards, including the presence of hazardous substances such as mercury.
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The EcoWaste Coalition has detected mercury at over 30,000 parts per million (ppm) in a Pakistan-made facial cream that promises “fairer skin in two weeks” and is supposedly “safe to apply day and night.” The toxic watchdog group announced it has found high levels of mercury in Arena Gold New Fairness Cream for Men purchased online for P179, inclusive of shipping charges.
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On this International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, we highlight that detoxifying cosmetics and beauty ideals is also a way to fight racism..
Exposure to mercury in cosmetics, including some skin-lightening products, disproportionately affects women & vulnerable communities. Under the MinamataConvention, Parties commit to protect human health and the environment by phasing out mercury-added cosmetics.
Over 20 international health and environmental organizations have called on Pakistan’s Competition Commission (CCP) to halt the manufacture and global trade of mercury-containing skin-whitening creams. The move intensifies scrutiny of the country’s cosmetics manufacturing sector, after a recent testing round found that 35 of 37 creams manufactured in Pakistan contained mercury levels thousands of times higher than the legal limit.
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As we celebrate International Women’s Month, toxics watchdog BAN Toxics has issued a consumer alert on the illegal sale of prohibited beauty products containing mercury—a highly toxic heavy metal that poses serious risks to the nervous, digestive, and immune systems.
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In response to the rising health risks associated with skin bleaching, the Nigerian Association of Dermatologists (NAD) has launched a nationwide public awareness campaign encouraging Nigerians to embrace their natural skin tone and prioritise their health. The campaign, themed “EmbraceYourSkin”, was introduced at a press conference attended by dermatologists, health advocates, journalists, and stakeholders across the healthcare and beauty sectors.
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Ebay Sued for Not Warning About Mercury in Skin Lighteners Lawsuit alleges consumers were knowingly exposed to mercury without legally required warnings.
Harmful beauty standards carry serious health risks. Ellen Rosskam and Małgorzata Alicja Stylo show how multilateral action is removing mercury from skin-lightening cosmetics.
Sri Lanka’s proposed legislation to regulate cosmetics marks a significant but overdue policy intervention with far-reaching implications for public health, trade, and the wider economy. The draft Cosmetics Regulation Bill, expected to be opened for public consultation in January 2026, reflects growing concern over the unregulated influx of cosmetic products into the country, particularly through informal and illicit channels.
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Walk into any cosmetic store across Pakistan you would be greeted with shelves filled with colorful promises of “instant glow”, “fairness in seven days”.
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“Why is it always those who have light skin that win,” asks a young Senegalese man tasked with handing out flyers for a local beauty pageant.
Last week at COP-6 in Geneva, Switzerland, over 150 governments agreed on a global plan to crack down on cosmetics containing mercury. The plan will see policing agencies, including Interpol and the World Customs Organization (WCO), collaborate to investigate where the products are manufactured, transported, and sold.
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Geneva, Switzerland — In a landmark decision, today the Sixth Conference of the Parties (COP-6) of the Minamata Convention invited the Secretariat of the Minamata Convention on Mercury to work with Interpol, the World Customs Organisation and others to investigate the manufacture, import and export of mercury-added cosmetics. COP-6 also decided to work towards closing the loopholes legally allowing mercury compounds to be traded, as this is compromising the Convention’s objective, particularly related to lacing cosmetics with mercury.
UNEP is taking a stand against toxic skin-lightening products—exposing the dangers of harmful chemicals while championing the beauty, inclusion, and equity of all skin tones. Together, we can challenge colorism, stop the manufacture and trade of mercury containing cosmetics, and shift mindsets toward a safer and more inclusive future.
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Popular skin-lightening products widely available on Amazon have been found to contain mercury levels far exceeding permissible limits, an assessment repeatedly highlighted by the New Delhi-based non-profit Toxics Link.
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Out of eight samples tested, seven failed, showing mercury concentrations thousands of times higher than the legal limit in India. A global mercury watchdog has found that the e-commerce giant Amazon is selling dangerously high levels of illegal mercury-containing skin lightening products (SLPs) in India, as well as in countries like Mexico and the UAE.
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Pakistan’s obsession with fair skin has fueled a dangerous market for skin whitening creams, many of which are found to contain harmful levels of mercury. The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has launched an inquiry into companies suspected of using mercury in their products, which is banned in many countries due to its toxicity.
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The New York (NY), US, Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has ordered three companies to immediately stop selling cosmetics that contain unlawful and dangerous levels of mercury.
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A court in India has given the death penalty to a man for burning alive his wife over her skin colour.
In her statements before her death, Lakshmi had said that her husband Kishandas "routinely taunted her for being dark skinned".
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When Iya Kande’s youngest son turned two months old, she began using a skin-lightening soap on his face and body.
Kande, whose last name has been changed to protect her identity, lives in northern Nigeria. She was hoping a fairer complexion would ingratiate the boy with his grandmother, who like many in the region had come to equate light skin with beauty.
But within weeks, the child’s skin began to blister and break out in rashes. It wasn’t until months later that Kande learned the cause. The soap was laced with mercury.
Kingston, Jamaica, 23 July 2025 (PAHO/WHO) – The Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW), in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), has taken an important step in addressing the harmful effects of mercury in skin lightening products (SLPs). Through two targeted workshops, healthcare workers (HCWs) from across Jamaica were trained to identify and communicate the dangers associated with mercury-containing SLPs, in support of national and global public health goals.
The overall goal of the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership is to protect human health and the environment from the releases of mercury.