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Mercury-Flagged Skin-Lightening Products Remain Available on Major Marketplaces
Reuters found more than 20 skin lightening products previously flagged by regulators for mercury were still available through third party sellers on Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop as of September 1. The listings appeared across several countries and often did not disclose mercury, while sellers could reappear under di...
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Key takeaways
- Reuters found more than 20 skin lightening products previously flagged by regulators for mercury were still available through third party sellers on Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop as of September 1.
- The listings appeared across several countries and often did not disclose mercury, while sellers could reappear under different names or obscure product labels.
- Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop said they prohibit or remove noncompliant products, but Reuters reported that most products it identified remained listed at the time of its review.
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openai.comCreate a landscape editorial hero image for this Studio Global article: What did a Reuters investigation find about more than 20 mercury-containing skin-bleaching products that remain available through third-part. Article summary: Reuters found more than 20 skin-bleaching products previously identified by regulators as containing mercury still purchasable from third-party sellers on Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop in the United States and on Amazon m. Topic tags: general, news. Style: premium digital editorial illustration, source-backed research mood, clean composition, high detail, modern web publication hero. Use reference image context only for broad subject, composition, and topical grounding; do not copy the exact image. Avoid: logos, brand marks, copyrighted characters, real person likenesses, fake screenshots, UI text, readable text, watermarks, charts with fake numbers, clickbait t
A Reuters review found that more than 20 skin-lightening products previously identified by regulators as containing mercury were still offered by third-party sellers on Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop in multiple countries. The findings illustrate how quickly prohibited cosmetics can move through cross-border online marketplaces—even after products are flagged or removed. 1
What Reuters found
Reuters reported that the products were available to customers in the United States through Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop, and through Amazon marketplaces in France, India, the United Arab Emirates and Belgium. The products had appeared on regulator-issued lists or warnings concerning mercury-containing skin-lightening cosmetics. 1
Reporters purchased Pakistani-made Parley Beauty Creams from Temu and TikTok Shop; three Mexican-made bleaching-cream brands from TikTok Shop; Philippine-made bleaching soaps from Amazon; and other products from Amazon sites serving the UK, France, Belgium and India. 1
The review did not include laboratory testing of the individual items purchased. That means Reuters could not independently establish the mercury content of those specific units; its identification was based on prior regulator findings and warnings. The listings themselves did not declare mercury as an ingredient. 1
How listings can evade marketplace controls
Reuters found that sellers could return after removals by using misleading product titles, changing seller accounts or hiding identifying information in product images. One example involved a Pakistani cream called Chandni that had been flagged by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration: an Amazon seller in India listed it as “Beauty Brightening Cream” and blurred the product name in its listing image. 1
That pattern makes reactive takedowns difficult. A product may disappear under one listing only to be offered again under a new title, account or image treatment. 1
Why mercury remains attractive to sellers
According to Reuters, mercury can lighten skin within days, whereas legal lightening agents such as kojic acid and arbutin generally work more slowly. It is also inexpensive, easy to formulate into creams and stable. 1
Reuters found mercury-associated products sold in the United States for about $6.50 per ounce, compared with a 2021 study cited in its report that found an average price of $24.89 per ounce for kojic-acid products. The price and speed difference can create an incentive for sellers despite the health and legal risks. 1
What Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop said
Amazon said the products violate its policies and that it was removing listings and taking action against sellers. The company cited seller verification, compliance documentation or third-party laboratory testing requirements, refinements to its controls, suspensions of evasive sellers and cooperation with regulators. 1
TikTok Shop said it was removing products that violate its rules. Its policies prohibit products intended to bleach, whiten, lighten or reduce skin melanin. Temu said it would review and remove the products identified by Reuters where listings violated applicable laws or platform rules. 1
Despite those responses, Reuters reported that most of the products it had identified were still listed as of September 1. 1
The unresolved question of platform responsibility
Rachel Doughty of Greenfire Law told Reuters that the wider issue is marketplaces’ historical position that they are intermediaries rather than parties responsible for third-party listings. She also said public agencies have not adequately enforced existing laws. 1
The case highlights a basic enforcement challenge: online marketplaces can set seller rules and remove individual listings, but cross-border sellers can relist products rapidly, making policy commitments difficult to translate into lasting removal. 1
Regulatory warnings and recalls
The FDA said removing fraudulent mercury creams remains a priority. It has issued warning letters to manufacturers and distributors and published a consumer-warning list in May covering mercury-containing skin-lightening creams, Reuters reported. 1
French authorities issued an August 28 recall for “Advanced Beauty Cream – Pearl Shine – Parley Goldie,” warning that mercury is intentionally used to block melanin synthesis. Reuters found the product still available on Amazon Belgium as of August 31. French officials said platforms must withdraw and recall unsafe, noncompliant products. 1
The World Health Organization says there is no known safe level of mercury exposure. It has also warned that online, cross-border commerce complicates oversight and enforcement, increasing the need for coordination among governments, sellers and other actors. 1
What consumers should take from the investigation
A marketplace listing, a familiar platform name or a skin-lightening claim should not be treated as proof that a cosmetic has been vetted for safety. In Reuters’ review, the problematic products often lacked mercury disclosures and were identified through regulator warnings rather than their product pages. 1
For consumers, the practical takeaway is to check official regulator alerts and recalls before buying skin-lightening products online, particularly when a listing uses vague terms such as “brightening” or conceals the packaging. The Reuters findings also show why removal of a single listing does not necessarily mean a flagged product has disappeared from a marketplace. 1
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What is the short answer to "Mercury-Flagged Skin-Lightening Products Remain Available on Major Marketplaces"?
Reuters found more than 20 skin lightening products previously flagged by regulators for mercury were still available through third party sellers on Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop as of September 1.
What are the key points to validate first?
Reuters found more than 20 skin lightening products previously flagged by regulators for mercury were still available through third party sellers on Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop as of September 1. The listings appeared across several countries and often did not disclose mercury, while sellers could reappear under different names or obscure product labels.
What should I do next in practice?
Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop said they prohibit or remove noncompliant products, but Reuters reported that most products it identified remained listed at the time of its review.