KNOW WHAT’S IN YOUR 

SKIN PRODUCTS

FOR MORE INFORMATION

www.fda.gov/healthequity

healthequity@fda.hhs.gov

1-888-INFO-FDA

(1-888-463-6332)

@FDAHealthEquity

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Get the Skin Facts! about skin product 

safety by visiting 

www.fda.gov/SkinFacts.

If you experience a bad reaction from 

the use of a skin product, please 

contact your health care provider. 

Report it to the FDA at 

www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm

or by calling 1-800-FDA-1088.

DID YOU

KNOW?

It is best to check the labels of 

skin products for ingredients that 

may pose a health risk. Avoid 

products with handmade labels, 

labels in languages other than 

English, or no label at all. Products 

like these are in violation of FDA 

regulations and may be harmful.

FDA Office of Minority

Health and Health Equity
What are skin lightening products? 

“Skin lightening” is a term for products marketed 

to lighten the pigmentation (color) of your skin. 

Some alternative names may include:

• Skin brighteners or whiteners

• Skin bleaching agents 

• Skin evening products 

• Spot correctors

• Fading creams

• Chemical peels

Skin lightening products are advertised to treat a 

variety of skin conditions such as skin discoloration/ 

hyperpigmentation (melasma), age or dark spots, 

freckles, acne, and wrinkles.

What are the health risks of 

hydroquinone?

The FDA has received reports of serious side 

effects from the use of skin lightening products 

containing hydroquinone, including rashes, facial 

swelling, and permanent skin discoloration 

(ochronosis).

What are the health risks of 

mercury? 

Mercury is a highly toxic metal that can damage 

the nervous, digestive, and immune systems, and 

the lungs, kidneys, skin, and eyes. Even other 

members of your household who don’t use the 

product can be exposed to mercury by breathing 

in mercury vapors in the air or touching 

contaminated surfaces. Mercury is especially 

harmful to the developing brains and nervous 

systems of young children.

Signs of mercury poisoning include: irritability, 

tremors, vision or hearing changes, memory 

problems, depression, numbness and tingling in 

hands, feet, or around the mouth. 

Mercury poisoning can also cause coma or even 

death.

What is the FDA doing to protect 

the public from these ingredients 

in skin lightening products? 

The over-the-counter sale of skin lightening 

products containing hydroquinone or mercury is 

illegal. The FDA can take action against anyone 

that sells these products over the counter. 

You can get a prescription skin product containing 

hydroquinone from your health care provider. The 

FDA allows mercury to be used in certain cosmetics 

as a preservative in very small amounts if there is 

no safe and effective alternative. However, the use 

of mercury in any skin lightening cosmetic is 

banned.

What should I look for when 

purchasing an over-the-counter 

skin lightening product? 

Read product labels to check for hydroquinone or 

mercury. Federal law requires companies to list 

ingredients on the label of any cosmetic or 

nonprescription (over-the-counter) product sold 

in the U.S. Note that mercury may be listed as 

mercurous chloride, calomel, mercuric, mercurio, 

or Hg.

Some illegal skin lightening products containing 

hydroquinone or mercury may not list these 

ingredients on the label. Avoid products with 

handmade labels, labels in languages other than 

English, or no label at all. Products like these are 

in violation of FDA regulations and may be harmful. 

If you are experiencing any of the 

symptoms of mercury poisoning, call 

Poison Control at 1-(800)-222-1222 

and contact your health care provider 

immediately.

Are there 

any harmful 

ingredients in 

skin lightening 

products? 

Hydroquinone and mercury are two ingredients 

sometimes found in illegal skin lightening products 

sold in the form of creams, lotions, soaps, or 

powders. When you use these ingredients on your 

skin, they are absorbed into your body and may 

build up with continued use, which can be harmful.