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: A Georgia Lawyer

Skin-lightening creams poisonous in more than one way

Some creams promising to lighten skin, eliminate age spots and zap freckles contain high levels of mercury, a toxic metal that can cause severe health problems, a Chicago Tribune investigation has found.

The newspaper sent 50 skin-lightening creams to a certified lab for testing, most of them bought in Chicago stores and a few ordered online. Six were found to contain amounts of mercury banned by federal law.

Of those, five had more than 6,000 parts per million ? enough to potentially cause kidney damage over time, according to a medical expert.

The Food and Drug Administration banned mercury in skin-bleaching or lightening products in 1990, but the agency rarely tests the products to see if consumers are at risk. The Chicago Tribune's tests ? among only a handful ever conducted ? show that tainted products are still readily available.

Source here.

Full post as published by A Georgia Lawyer on May 20, 2010 (boomark / email).