CAP: Ban on Deadly Face Creams Ineffective

Time and again we hear of face creams being banned by the Malaysian authorities as it was found that these creams contain harmful substances such as mercury. The ban has been found to be ineffective as face creams containing mercury are still available in the market.

In a random survey conducted in Penang and Kuala Lumpur, we found whitening creams including those that have been banned freely available. We also found counterfeit creams of some popular brands in the market.

 On testing we found, 9 samples to contain mercury which ranged from 0.7 to 44,148 ppm (parts per million). In an earlier test conducted in 1983 the highest amount of mercury detected in the samples tested was only 28,000 ppm.

Among the samples tested were samples that were previously banned by the Ministry of Health but are still available in the market.

Skin lightening cosmetics containing mercury pose significant risks to users. Mercury absorbed through the skin from lightening products can damage not only the skin, but the kidneys and the nervous system.

Asians are obsessed with having fair and radiant skin. Thanks to our colonial masters which makes dark skin individuals feels inferior. White supremacy probably stuck and that became our standard for beauty. In ancient times having fair skin meant that one was wealthy enough to hire labourers to go out in the scorching sun to work in the fields.

This culture still holds true until today, with the increasing popularity of whitening creams in the market.  As such, skin lighteners are heavily marketed to women with the message that they hold a key to beauty. The whiter the face, the more it may resemble a youthful soul, a youthful innocent face of a child with skin barely touched by the sun in this big bad world.

According to a survey conducted in selected countries   in Asia, Africa and Latin America, it was reported that 41 percent of the respondents from Malaysia used skin lighteners. When asked why they used the products, 61 percent of the respondents to the survey said they felt they looked younger with a fair complexion. The surveys cited above and others have found that many women use the products for an extended period of up to 20 years in some cases.

Face creams that contained high levels of mercury claimed to prevent or improve freckles and pimples and give its users a beautiful complexion.  These products are often applied to large areas of the skin, left on the skin for hours at a time, and used repeatedly for weeks, months or years.

Regular application of creams containing mercury could lead to rash, skin discolouration and blotching. Chronic mercury poisoning may result from skin contact with mercury compounds over prolonged periods. Severe abdominal pain, vomiting, ashy colouration of the mouth and bloody diarrhoea were observed in cases where large amounts of mercury was absorbed.

Mercury poisoning may also cause the teeth to loosen and a blue lining to form on the gums. In pregnant women the foetus may also be affected since mercury can diffuse through the placenta.

The World Health Organisation stated that cellular damage will be inflicted whenever mercury is accumulated in sufficient concentration. Mercury is also a potent allergen and sensitiser and irritation is common after topical application.

Most mercury in skin lightening products enters the environment through waste water and may be transformed by bacteria into methyl mercury, an even more toxic compound. Methyl mercury accumulates in fish and thus can enter human diet. The amount of mercury used in skin lightening products is minimal compared to other sources of mercury pollution, however this still contributes to the global mercury exposure.

In view of this, the Consumers Association of Penang reiterates its calls to the Ministry of Health to:

Closely monitor all cosmetics containing dangerous substances which are injurious to health and widely sold in the market.

Withdraw all cosmetics which are found to be dangerous by means of surveillance.

Strictly enforce bans on dangerous products.