Banned Toxic Skin-Lightening Products Still Sold on Amazon, Temu and TikTok

More than 20 banned skin-lightening products linked to mercury were available for purchase through third-party marketplaces operated by Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop in several countries, according to a Reuters review of publicly available information.

Regulators, companies and international organizations have spent years trying to remove such products from stores and websites.

More than 150 countries are parties to the 2013 Minamata Convention, which restricts the manufacture, import and sale of mercury-containing products.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says mercury can damage the kidneys, brain and nervous system.

Products Keep Reappearing Under Different Names

Reuters found that some sellers have become more sophisticated in hiding the origins and ingredients of banned products.

Some creams removed from online marketplaces were later listed again under different names or by different sellers.

As of September 1, Reuters found more than 20 products appearing on banned-product lists available through Amazon, Temu and TikTok’s US marketplaces, as well as Amazon’s third-party platforms in France, India, the United Arab Emirates and Belgium.

None of the listings identified mercury as an ingredient.

Reuters could not independently confirm whether the products currently being sold contained mercury.

Mercury Offers Faster Skin-Lightening Effects

Despite its toxicity, mercury-containing products continue to attract buyers because they can lighten skin quickly.

Skin lightening is a multibillion-dollar industry and is particularly popular in parts of Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, according to lawyers, academics and public health advocates cited by Reuters.

Winston Morgan, a professor of toxicology, equity and inclusive practice at the University of East London’s School of Health, Sport and Bioscience, said mercury can produce visible lightening within days.

He said it works faster than legal ingredients such as kojic acid and arbutin, while also being relatively inexpensive, easy to formulate into creams, and stable.

A 2021 Boston University study found that skin-lightening products containing the legal cosmetic ingredient kojic acid cost an average of $24.89 per ounce.

By comparison, mercury-linked products Reuters found for sale in the US in mid-September cost around $6.50 per ounce.

The WHO says there is no known safe level of mercury exposure.

The US Food and Drug Administration limits total mercury in cosmetics to no more than one part per million.

Morgan said some illegal products contain between 10 and 100,000 milligrams per litre.

Reuters could not independently verify those figures, although regulators in the UK and US, including the UK Office for Product Safety and Standards and the FDA, have previously reported products testing positive for mercury at such levels.

Reuters Purchased Products From Several Marketplaces

A Reuters journalist in London purchased several products suspected of containing mercury through Amazon’s websites in the UK, France, Belgium and India.

A US-based Reuters journalist also bought Pakistan-made Parley Beauty Creams through Temu and TikTok Shop.

The journalist purchased three brands of Mexican-made bleaching creams through TikTok Shop and skin-bleaching soaps made in the Philippines through Amazon.

None of the manufacturers responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Amazon, Temu and TikTok told Reuters that they prohibit the sale of the products identified by the news agency and said they were taking action to remove listings and address sellers responsible for them.

However, as of September 1, most of the products Reuters identified remained listed on those platforms.

Amazon Says It Is Strengthening Controls

Amazon said it has proactive controls designed to maintain a safe and compliant marketplace.

These include seller verification and requirements for compliance documentation or third-party laboratory testing before products can be listed.

The company said it continues to improve those controls and suspend sellers that attempt to evade its rules.

Amazon also said it works with regulators, government agencies and other organizations to update its lists of prohibited products.

TikTok said it was removing products that violate its rules.

Its policies prohibit products intended to bleach, whiten, lighten or reduce overall melanin in the skin.

Temu also said it would remove certain products following its review and would take action against listings found to violate applicable laws or its platform rules.

Sellers Have Used Misleading Names

Reuters found one example on Amazon India involving a product called Chandni cream, which the FDA had previously flagged.

By early August, a third-party seller had listed the product as “Beauty Brightening Cream” instead.

The seller also blurred the product’s actual name in the listing image.

The manufacturer, Pakistan-based SJ Enterprises, did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

Amazon did not comment on individual products listed on its marketplaces.

Platforms Face Enforcement Challenges

Public health advocates say Amazon has struggled for years to keep mercury-containing skin-lightening creams off its websites.

The company settled a lawsuit in California last year related to the presence of such products on its US marketplace.

Advocates said Amazon’s US platform previously carried far more mercury-containing skin-lightening products than it does today.

Rachel Doughty, an attorney at Greenfire Law, which fought Amazon over the issue for a decade, said part of the problem comes from the business models used by online marketplaces.

She said platforms had long argued that they were simply intermediaries and were not responsible for products posted by third-party sellers.

Doughty also said existing laws were not strongly enforced by public agencies.

Amazon declined to comment on her assessment.

FDA and WHO Acknowledge the Problem

Health regulators have also acknowledged the difficulty of keeping mercury-containing products away from consumers.

The FDA told Reuters that it remains highly concerned about these and other fraudulent products and considers removing them from the market a major priority.

The agency said it has sent warning letters to manufacturers and distributors demanding that illegal sales stop.

The WHO said it is aware that mercury-added skin-lightening products continue to be sold through online and cross-border e-commerce platforms.

The organization said these sales make regulation and enforcement more difficult and called for stronger regulation and coordination between governments, sellers and other organizations.

French Authorities Recently Recalled One Product

There are signs that regulators are increasing enforcement.

On August 28, French authorities issued a recall for a skin-lightening product called “Advanced Beauty Cream — Pearl Shine — Parley Goldie.”

Reuters had found the product available online earlier in August.

Despite the recall, it was still listed on Amazon’s Belgian website as of August 31.

French officials told Reuters that mercury is regularly detected in products marketed for skin lightening.

They said mercury is deliberately added because it blocks the production of melanin, the pigment responsible for skin colour.

French authorities said e-commerce platforms are required to remove unsafe products and issue recalls when necessary.

They added that products identified as unsafe or non-compliant are reported to the platforms or companies involved.

FDA Published a List of Mercury-Containing Creams

Late last year, the US FDA contacted Michael Bender, co-coordinator of the Zero Mercury Working Group, following outreach he had made to the agency about mercury-containing products seven years earlier.

According to an email seen by Reuters, the FDA requested Bender’s expertise and asked for a list of products still available for purchase.

The agency was also interested in products that may have reappeared under different brand names or packaging.

In May, the FDA published a list of skin-lightening creams that it said contain mercury and warned consumers against purchasing them.

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