Mercury Off The Charts In Skin Creams Sold In NYC: Officials

NEW YORK, NY — A dozen cosmetics products sold in New York City contain as much as 14,000 times the allowable amount of mercury, city health officials warned Friday. Ten "skin-lightening" creams from Pakistan and two medicated soaps from Spain sold over the counter have dangerously high levels of the chemical, which can cause life-threatening health problems, officials say.

The city Department of Health sent a note to doctors last week telling them to warn patients about the dangerous products, which it started identifying in January 2017. Health officials are working with businesses to get them off the shelves, the DOH said.

Skin-lightening creams reduce the amount of melanin, or pigment, in one's skin. Mercury is the active ingredient in some such creams, according to WebMD. It's illegal to use mercury in skin-lighteners in the U.S., but products made in other countries may still contain the toxic chemical, the website says.

Mercury can damage the nervous system and kidneys and increases the risk of miscarriage in pregnant women, the Department of Health says.

New Yorkers should stop using any product that lists mercury as an ingredient and tell their doctors if they're using non-prescription skin-lighteners or other products to treat skin disorders, as the chemical might not appear on all ingredient lists, the DOH said.

Here are the products sold in New York City that the Department of Health says contain dangerous levels of mercury:

• Due Beauty Cream made by Kreative Cosmetics (Pvt) Ltd.
• Sandal Whitening Beauty Cream made by MMC Cosmetics, Pakistan
• Chandni Whitening Cream made by SJ Enterprises, Pakistan
• Golden Pearl Beauty Cream made by Golden Pearl Cosmetics
• Face Fresh Beauty Cream made by Shaheen Cosmetics, Pakistan
• Faiza No. 1 Beauty Cream made by A.M. Cosmetics (Pak), Pakistan
• Faiza Beauty Cream made by Poonia Brothers (Pak), Pakistan
• Seven Herbal Ubtan Cream made by C.P.H.L.
• Stillman’s Freckle Cream and Stillman’s Skin Bleach Cream made in Pakistan under license from the Stillman Company, Inc., USA
• Niuma Medicated Antiseptic Soap made by Niuma Belleza, Spain
• Niuma Lemon Medicated Germicidal Soap made by Niuma Belleza, Spain

(Lead image: Photo courtesy of the New York City Department of Health)