Skincare set that claimed to be 100% mercury-free found to have 20,000x more mercury than acceptable limits

Practice caution when choosing skin care products. Your quest for beauty can backfire and lead to detrimental consequences. Such is the case for a skincare set being sold online that has been found to contain high levels of mercury and other banned ingredients that can result in serious health problems.

The Tati Skin Care 5-in-1 skincare set has been discovered to contain toxic ingredients by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA). The set contains a day cream, night cream, treatment cream, sunblock, and cleanser. HSA has alerted the public to stop buying and using this product because of its harmful ingredients. The agency say that the night cream contains “very high levels of mercury” that exceed the acceptable limits by 20,000 times. This can pose serious health risks to users. The treatment cream, on the other hand, contains prohibited ingredients like tretinoin and hydroquinone.

“Consumers who have purchased or are using this product are advised to stop using and discard them immediately as their use can lead to serious health consequences,” the HSA said in a statement released on June 7. The 5-in-1 skincare set is marketed as “100% free of harmful chemicals” and claims that it has no mercury on the packaging.

Exposure to mercury, even in small amounts, can cause serious health problems. This could also affect child development in-utero and during their early years. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) mercury may have detrimental effects to the immune, digestive, and nervous systems. Exposure can affect the skin, eyes, kidneys, and lungs. Mercury is classified as one of the top ten chemicals or group of chemicals that are major health concerns for the public.

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This is why it’s prohibited as an ingredient for skincare products. Mercury poisoning can cause rashes, skin discoloration, and blotching. Long-term exposure to high levels of mercury can cause organ damage since it is absorbed by the skin.

Tretinoin and hydroquinone are used for treating skin conditions. These are potent ingredients and should only be used under medical supervision because they can have disastrous health effects. Unsupervised use of hydroquinone can lead to changes in skin color and hypersensitivity reactions like redness, rashes, and burning of the skin. Improper use of tretinoin, meanwhile, can lead to redness and skin peeling.

HSA has reportedly found more than 200 online sellers that are illegally selling modified cosmetic products in the past two months, according to associate professor Chan Cheng Leng, group director of the health products regulation group at HSA. “This shows the widespread circulation of these products. Many of these sellers hide under the anonymity of the internet. Consumers need to be wary about purchasing cosmetic products with exaggerated claims and which promise fast results, as they may contain ingredients harmful to health,” he stated.

It pays to be cautious when choosing cosmetic products. To determine if your skincare set has mercury in it, WomensHealthMag.com advises that you avoid purchasing products that do not have a list of ingredients. If they do, check the list and make sure that they don’t contain the following: mercury, mercurous chloride, mercuric, calomel, and mercurio.

When you suspect you’ve been exposed to mercury, discontinue use immediately and seek medical attention. However, the best way to ensure you’re not exposed to anything at all is to be careful when buying cosmetic products.

Sources include:

StraitsTimes.com

WHO.int

WomensHealthMag.com