Beauty is not skin deep
Health authorities warn against skin whitening
creams:
by Carol Aloysius
The
various skin whitening products that flood the local markets, with the
promise of magical transformation of skin tone, offering to make men and
women fairer and lovelier overnight may prove cancer causing, in
addition to other health impacts, warns, Head of the National Poisons
Information Unit, Dr. Waruna Gunathillake
Many of these cosmetics, especially those imported from other
countries, have a high content of mercury which can block the
melonocytes, a pigment cell in human skin. Mercury is a dangerous skin
lightening ingredient. Mercury is widely prevalent in facial creams.
It leads to degeneration of the skin and can cause serious health
impacts including skin cancer, as it has the ability to damage the
pigment cells, he said.
He said, the open market was now flooded with many brands of skin
whitening creams which often did not include authentic information with
regard to the inclusion of mercury content.
Whitening creams imported from India and Thailand have been found to
have very high contents of mercury, he noted. Some leading local
manufacturers too have been found using steroids in herbal-based facial
creams. Long-term use of such products can not only whiten the skin, but
cause side effects due to the inclusion of steroids, such as skin
redness and inflammation, besides severe acne, he noted.
The National Poisons Information Centre keeps a list of some of the
skin whitening creams, analyzed by outside researchers for harmful
impacts.
Some of them have been banned even in the manufacturing countries. If
anyone is using a particular brand of skin whitening cream, whether
local or imported, and needs more information on a product, the Centre
cal offer information through the hotline: 2686143, he added.
Pic courtesy: beautyinsiders.com |