Resources

The Minamata Convention on Mercury prohibits the manufacture, import, and export of listed mercury-added products, including batteries, switches, certain lamps, cosmetics and measuring devices, with limited exemptions. It also requires Parties to phase down the use of dental amalgam.

The Minamata Convention bans the use of mercury in cosmetics, including skin-lightening products. Although manufacture, import and export of mercury-containing cosmetics is prohibited, Parties face challenges in addressing informal manufacturing and sales.

Explore Insights, Resources and Intersessional Work gathered in the Minamata Convention on Mercury Topic: Mercury in cosmetics

Public health laboratories play a leading role in the ongoing, successful responses to these threats. While limited resources restrict a laboratory’s ability to address every threat, mercury is a global health crisis that merits attention not only due to its toxicity and prevalence, but also because of environmental concerns affecting communities disproportionately.

These infographics have been designed for the project “Eliminating Mercury Skin Lightening Products”.

Ces publications pour les réseaux sociaux sont conçues pour partager la campagne #MercuryFreeCosmetics, en particulier pour la Journée internationale pour l'élimination de la discrimination raciale le 21 mars.

These social media posts are designed to share #MercuryFreeCosmetics campaign, especially for the International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 21 March.

The Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health and Department of Pollution Control, Ministry of Environment have initiated a project to minimize the use of dental amalgam and enhance Thailand's capacity for environmentally management under the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

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Engagement de Libreville sur l'élimination en Afrique des produits cosmétiques éclaircissants pour la peau contenant du mercure.

From January 20 to 22, 2025, Libreville hosted a landmark regional workshop, bringing together 15 African nations to develop a unified strategy to eliminate harmful skin-lightening products containing mercury and other hazardous substances. 

These presentations were given at the event organised by by the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the United Nations Environment Programme and the Geneva Environment Network on 5 March 2025.

These presentations where given at the webinar organised 20 February 2025 by the Japan-funded project for promoting the Minamata Convention on Mercury by making the most of Japan's knowledge and experiences

The Zero Mercury Working Group Newsletter is published monthly since November 2019.

Published monthly, the Minamata Convention Updates provides the latest updates on work to protect human health and environment from the harmful effects of mercury.

Presentations made at the webinar on Managing mercury waste from dental amalgam and medical measuring devices, organised by UNEP on 9 December 2024.

[ French ] Plateau Spécial sur l'Atelier Régional qui s'est tenue à Libreville du 20 au 22 janvier 2025. Interview du Ministre de la santé, de plusieurs experts et de Miss Ebène.

This educational video was created by youth leaders involved in Beautywell’s Young Women’s Wellness and Leadership Initiative, the Youth Advisory Board, and young women leading community initiatives. The video's purpose is to mobilize youth and raise awareness about colorism, skin-lightening practices, and chemical exposures within the youth population.

Dental amalgam has been used as a restorative material to address dental caries and is one of the  contributors to mercury consumption across the globe. The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a global treaty that aims to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds.

The GlobalRecalls portal brings together information on product recalls being issued around the world, on a regular basis, together in one place – on an OECD platform.

The portal includes information on mandatory and voluntary consumer product recalls which were issued by a governmental body and were made publicly available.

Campaign on Health Risks of Toxic Skin Lighteners

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) of Sri Lanka has published its first dataset on mercury levels in cosmetics since 2013.

The project Eliminating Mercury Skin Lightening Products - Jamaica, Gabon, and Sri Lanka, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), aims to reduce the risk of exposure to mercury-added skin lightening products.

[ French / English ] CNN explique comment les niveaux élevés de mercure présents dans certaines crèmes éclaircissantes pour la peau peuvent affecter la santé des personnes qui les utilisent ainsi que contaminer l'environment de leur maison.

The Secretariat of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, in collaboration with the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) and with financial support from the European Union, launches Minamata Tools, a set of interactive training modules designed to explain the Convention and assist in the fight against mercury pollution.

People of all genders use skin-lightening products (SLPs) formulated to fade freckles, blemishes, age spots and treat acne; however, many use these products to intentionally lighten their skin color.

The FDA’s Skin Facts! Initiative alerts consumers of potentially harmful over-the-counter (OTC) skin products containing hydroquinone or mercury. These products are sometimes called skin lightening products and are not FDA approved for over-the-counter sale.