More than 20 banned skin-bleaching products containing mercury were available for purchase through third-party marketplaces run by Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop in several countries as of September 1, highlighting the limits of enforcement against cosmetics linked to serious health risks.
More than 150 nations are parties to the 2013 Minamata Convention, which banned the manufacture, import or sale of mercury-containing products. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration restricts total mercury in cosmetics to no more than 1 part per million.
Many illegal products contain between 10 and 100,000 milligrams per liter of mercury. None of the products list mercury as an ingredient. Sellers often avoid detection by relisting products under misleading names or using blurred packaging, according to the sourced findings.
The World Health Organization says there is no known safe exposure level for mercury. It says mercury-containing products can damage the kidneys, brain and nervous system. Repeated application of mercury-containing skin-lightening products can allow the substance to enter the bloodstream, potentially causing serious and potentially permanent health problems.
The risk can also reach people who do not use the creams themselves. FDA guidance says family members can be exposed through contaminated household items or mercury vapours. Children and pregnant individuals face heightened risks from mercury-containing skin-lightening products and should avoid exposure to them.
Testing has identified very high concentrations in individual products. Orbi 20® Whitening Cream from Pakistan, tested on eBay, contained 27,762 parts per million of mercury. Deluxe Silken Bleaching Cream from Jamaica, also tested on eBay, contained 19,027 parts per million.
Price appears to help sustain demand. A 2021 Boston University study found that skin-lightening products containing kojic acid cost an average of $24.89 an ounce. Mercury-containing products Reuters found for sale in the United States in mid-September were priced at roughly $6.50 an ounce.
Winston Morgan, a professor of toxicology at the University of East London, said mercury-laden creams remain popular because they are relatively cheap and produce faster results than legal alternatives. The gap gives sellers an incentive to continue offering products that are barred under international and US rules.
Amazon, Temu and TikTok said they prohibit the sale of the specific products identified and were taking steps to remove them from their websites. Yet most were still listed on the companies' websites as of September 1.
TikTok said it was removing products that breach its rules. Its policy bars products that 'aim to bleach, whiten, lighten, or reduce overall melanin in the skin'.
The FDA has published a list of mercury-containing products and sent warning letters to manufacturers and distributors. The agency told Reuters it 'is very concerned about these and other fraudulent products, and removing them from the market remains one of the agency's top priorities'.
The World Health Organization has warned that cross-border e-commerce makes regulatory oversight harder. The available evidence does not establish the total number of mercury-containing skin-bleaching products listed across online marketplaces, the number of consumers exposed, or whether sellers face meaningful penalties when they relist products. It does show that products prohibited by platforms and restricted by regulators continued to be offered for sale as of September 1.
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