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This webpage from U.S. Food and Drugs Administration lists information on what the law and FDA regulations say about cosmetic ingredients and safety.

Toxic skin-lightening creams are still sold freely across South Africa, despite clear health dangers and the legacy of apartheid.

In India, skin whitening creams are being used since ages as white complexion has been associated with prosperity and beauty for thousands of years. However, after the post globalisation, India has evolved as a key market of the cosmetic products. Further with the growth of the online marketing portals, now the products across the globe are being flooded into Indian markets.

In almost every corner of the planet, there's a huge social dividend that comes from being lighter-skinned. Sociologists trace it back centuries to European colonization, slavery and class or caste.

Studies show people with lighter complexions earn more, are less likely to be arrested and, if convicted, serve shorter sentences than people with darker skin.

This investigation on the sale of mercury-containing skin bleaching, lightening or whitening cosmetics in online shopping platforms and social media sites was conducted by the EcoWaste Coalition to support the implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury that the government of the Philippines ratified on June 2, 2020.

Video animation explaining why mercury and, in particular, mercury in skin lightening products is dangerous to health and the need for countries to take action to ban this source of exposure.

A shooting star helps a bright young girl born "the color of midnight" learn to embrace her beauty, inside and out.

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Skin bleaching is a major health concern among Jamaicans. A common ingredient in skin lightening products is mercury. Mercury is a toxic substance that can cause damage to the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system and kidneys.

CBC's Marketplace tests popular skin-lightening products sold in Canada to find out if the ingredients are as toxic as the marketing. Our investigation reveals some products contain alarming levels of harmful ingredients, including mercury, hydroquinone and steroids. Some of these chemicals are possible carcinogens and can cause severe skin issues with prolonged use.  

Through the Chemical Safety and Health Unit, WHO works to establish the scientific basis for the sound management of chemicals, and to strengthen national capabilities and capacities for chemical safety. Mercury is a chemical of major public health concerns.

In the past few years, FDA and state health officials have discovered numerous products marketed as skin lighteners that contain mercury, and there have been cases in which people exposed to such products have had mercury poisoning or elevated levels of mercury in their bodies.

Therefore, to address this growing challenge, coordinated compliance mechanisms are needed at the local, national, regional and global levels. The ultimate goal of this publication is to improve consumer protection by targeting unsafe products and accelerating their removal from commerce before they are sold to consumers.

Mercury-containing skin lightening products are hazardous to health and as a result have been banned in many countries. Even in some countries where such products have been banned, they are still advertised and available to consumers via the Internet and other means.

The Oscar award-winning actress' debut kids' book is about a young black girl who doesn’t think she's beautiful.

Read more: https://gma.abc/35xVwb3

Skin lightening creams & soaps have mercury in them. Mercury is dangerous and bad for people’s health. Mercury in open skin lightening products can also harm other people in the home or store.

Using skin-lightening products is not safe. Most skin-lightening products contain toxic chemicals including mercury. Many skin-lightening products tested in Minnesota and nationwide contained mercury levels that exceeded the current FDA threshold of 1 part per million (ppm).

OAKLAND, CA—April 17, 2019—The consumer protection group As You Sow filed a lawsuit today against Amazon.com (Amazon) under California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, commonly referred to as Proposition 65.

Stephanie Yeboah started using bleaching creams when she was 14. As part of a new series, Shades of black, she writes about believing her worth was linked to her skin tone and what happened when side-effects kicked in

What are Mercury-added Products? The Minamata Convention on Mercury defines a mercury-added product as a “product or product component that contains mercury or a mercury compound that was intentionally added.”

The toxic trade of often illegal mercury-added skin-lightening products is a global crisis expected to only worsen with skyrocketing demand, especially in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Consistent with other research, a new Zero Mercury Working Group (ZMWG) study indicates that a significant percentage of skin-lightening creams sold worldwide contains dangerous levels of mercury.

Presentation given by Arturo Gavilan Garcia on Survey on Harmonized System Initiative of the Global Mercury Partnership given at the Global Mercury Partnership side event during the Second Conference of Parties (COP2) of the Minamata Convention

Research on skin whitening products carried out under component III of the UNEP project "Development of Minamata Initial Assessment (MIA)" in Pakistan. This report covers all the details of research work, undertaken on local as well as international brands of Skin Whitening Creams (SWCs) collected from the markets at main cities of Pakistan.

Recent tests in the U.S. state of Minnesota show that some skin lightening products have dangerous levels of mercury. Being exposed to the mercury in these products could cause serious health problems. This factsheet provides basic information for the general public. More information available here.