Mercury in Soaps and Creams - NYC Health

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Hazardous Products: Mercury in Soaps and Creams

Certain skin-lightening creams and medicated soaps can contain mercury. Soaps and creams containing mercury are banned in the United States, but may be available for purchase over the counter or on the Internet.

The mercury in these types of products can be absorbed through your skin. Mercury can damage the brain, nervous system and kidneys. It may also damage the skin, cause rashes and blotchy spots, and give skin a grayish color.

The longer and more often products containing mercury are used, the greater the health risk. These products can be especially harmful to children.

How to Identify Dangerous Soaps and Creams

Products may contain mercury, even if it is not listed as an ingredient on the label. Check packaging materials and any instructions or ingredient lists carefully. Look for:

“Hg” (the chemical symbol for mercury) or the word “mercury”

Mercuric iodide, mercuric chloride, mercurous chloride, ammoniated mercury, calomel, mercurio, amide chloride of mercury or mercury oxide

Instructions to avoid contact with silver, gold, rubber, aluminum and jewelry

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 a store selling products found to contain mercury.

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Products Made in Pakistan

Product Name
Manufacturer

Al-Riyan Beauty Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

Al-Riyan Group

Chandni Whitening Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

SJ Enterprises

Due Beauty Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

Kreative Cosmetics (Pvt) Ltd.

Face Fresh Beauty Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

Shaheen Cosmetics

Faiza No 1 Beauty Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

A.M. Cosmetics

Faiza Beauty Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

Poonia Brothers

Golden Pearl Beauty Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

Golden Pearl Cosmetics

Golden Star Beauty Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

Golden Star A. R. Cosmetics Co.

Goree Beauty Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

Goree Cosmetics (Pvt.) Ltd.

Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

Goree Cosmetics (Pvt.) Ltd.

Infocus Professional Herbal Beauty Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

Infocus Cosmetology Co.

Infocus Professional Pearl Beauty Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

Infocus Cosmetology Co.

Kanza Beauty Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Diana and Kanza Health Warning (PDF)

Noorani & Company

Parley Goldie Advanced Beauty Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

Khyber Chemical (Pvt.) Ltd

Sajal Gold Beauty Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

Modern Cosmetics

Sandal Whitening Beauty Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

MMC Cosmetics (Pvt.) Ltd.

Seven Herbal Ubtan Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

C.P.H.L.

Stillman’s Freckle Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

Stillman Company Inc., USA

Stillman’s Skin Bleach Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

Stillman Company Inc., USA

White Pearl Plus Extra Whitening Treatment Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

White Pearl Cosmetics International

Zuni Beyoutiful Beauty Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

Zuni USA LLC.

Products Made in Lebanon

Product Name
Manufacturer

Diana Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Diana and Kanza Health Warning Sign (PDF)

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

Creme Diana

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning Sign (PDF)

ETS. Diana De Beaute-Beyrouth

Due Beauty Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning Sign (PDF)

Kreative Cosmetics (Pvt.) Ltd.

Infocus Professional Skin Whitening Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

Infocus Cosmetology Co.

Magia Blanca de Michelle Marie Crema Blanqueadora
N/A

Nufutong

Skin-Lightening Cream Nufutong Health Warning Sign (PDF)

N/A

Stillman’s Freckle Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

The Stillman Company (Pvt.) Ltd.

Zuni Gold Finest Beauty Cream

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning (PDF)

Zuni USA LLC.

If You Have Used These Products

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, talk to your doctor. 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 an NYC Department of Sanitation SAFE Disposal Event location. 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 Poison Control Center at 212-POISONS (212-764-7667).

Additional Resources

Skin-Lightening Cream Health Warning Sign (PDF)

Skin-Lightening Creams Warning Postcard (PDF)

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