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