16 January 2014

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List Names CSE PML study finds harmful mercury in 44% fairness creams in India

List Names CSE PML study finds harmful mercury in 44% fairness creams in India

It can also cause anxiety, depression, psychosis and peripheral neuropathy.

One of India’s largest studies on the presence of heavy metals in cosmetics has emerged with a startling finding: the fairness creams – ones which are endorsed by some of our biggest Bollywood names – could contain mercury, an element which is universally recognized as extremely toxic

Centre for Science and Environment’s (CSE’s) Pollution Monitoring Lab (PML), which did the study, says use of mercury in cosmetics is prohibited in India.

PML found mercury in 44 per cent of the fairness creams it tested. It also found chromium in 50 per cent and nickel in 43 per cent of the lipstick samples it tested.

CSE director general Sunita Narain said that “Mercury is not supposed to be present in cosmetic products. Their mere presence in these products is completely illegal and unlawful.”

Mercury:
Found in 14 fairness creams tested by CSE in the range of 0.10 parts per million (ppm) to 1.97 ppm. Under the Drugs and Cosmetics Acts and Rules of India, Mercury is banned for use in cosmetics. Their presence in these products indicates that they are not meeting the law.

Aroma Magic Fair Lotion, a product of Blossom Kochhar Beauty Products Pvt Ltd, had the highest mercury level at 1.97 ppm, followed by Olay Natural White (1.79 ppm), a product of Procter and Gamble, India, and Ponds White Beauty (1.36 ppm) of Hindustan Unilever Ltd.

Chromium was found in 15 out of 30 lipsticks tested in the range of 0.45 ppm to 17.83 ppm. Hearts & Tarts (080V) shade of Color Bar had the highest concentration.

Nickel was found in 13 out of 30 products tested in the range of 0.57 to 9.18 ppm, with LancomeLabsolu Nu-204 of L’Oreal India Pvt. Ltd. containing the highest concentration.

To gauge the safety of cosmetic products it tested, CSE compared the levels of heavy metals found with their Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) limits.

ADI is the maximum amount of a toxin that a person can be exposed to over a lifetime without any appreciable health risk.

Since India has not set limits for ADI of mercury, CSE compared the amount of mercury in fairness creams with the ADI set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).

The results show whitening creams may contribute up to 71 per cent of the ADI for mercury, depending upon the product and the amount of the fairness cream used.
This is a very high level of exposure to mercury from just one product.

Side Effects –

Mercury is a neurotoxin. Inorganic mercury that is present in fairness creams can damage kidneys and may cause rashes, skin discolouration and scarring.

Hexavalent chromium (CrVI), one of theforms in which chromium is present, is known to cause cancer in humans.

About – CSI – PML –

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), one of India’s leading non-governmental organization based in New Delhi, has set up the Pollution Monitoring Laboratory (PML) to monitor environmental pollution and food contamination. PML is an ISO 9001:2008 certified laboratory accredited by SWISO, CH-5610, Wohlen, Switzerland, conducting Pollution Monitoring and Scientific Studies on Environmental and food Samples.

Why this happens in India?

India does not have laws and whatever may be the law present, the law is so weak that not even a small child will fear such law

A good laws is a law which always says whatever may be the crime Judge can send you jail for 100 Years
A criminal needs to fear the law but this never happens in India

Following is the list which shows in which products mercury and other things found

Heavy metals in lipsticks, lip-balms and anti-ageing creams (in parts per million)
  ND: Not detected   

S.
No - Company name/ product name  Lead – Cadmium - Chromium - Nickel

1
Bodyshop (Ruby Sparkle - 12)  ND  ND  2.91  1.65

2
Chambor (Rouge Plump - 746)  ND  ND  ND  ND

3
Clinique (Extreme Pink - 19)  ND  ND  ND  ND

4
Clinique (Different Grape)  ND  ND  ND  ND

5
ColorBar (Burnt Orange - 017)  ND  ND  1.62  ND

6
ColorBar (Bitter Chocolate - 028) ND ND 2.55  ND

7
ColorBar (Hearts & Tarts - 080V)  ND  ND  17.83  5.47

8
Dior (Mazette - 028)  ND  ND  ND  ND

9
Dior (Fireworks - 756)  ND  ND  ND  ND

10
Estee Lauder (Fuchsia Fever - 60)  ND  ND  ND  0.99

11
Estee Lauder (Scarlet Siren - 73)  ND  ND  1.34  2.36

12
Lakme (Red Hot - 43)  ND  ND  0.45  2.47

13
Lakme (Bridal Dream - 44)   ND  ND  1.39  0.57

14
Lakme (Pink Romance - 206)  ND  ND  ND  ND

15
Lakme (Enrich Satin - 352)  ND  ND  ND  1.09

16
Lancome (Labsolu Nu - 204)  ND  ND  13.90  9.18

17
L’Oreal (Intense Plum - 374)  ND  ND  ND  ND

18
MAC (Paramount - A52)  ND  ND  1.14  2.19

19
MAC (Plumful - A62)  ND  ND  1.22  ND

20
MAC (Cockney - A82)  ND  ND  2.32  ND

21
MAC (So chaud - A82)  ND  ND  5.75  3.42

22
Maxfactor (Pomegranate - 665)  ND  ND  1.59  ND

23
Maybelline (Hooked Pink - 065)  ND  ND  5.27  2.21

24
Maybelline (Fatal Red - 530)  ND  ND  ND  ND

25
Maybelline (Endless Raisin -090)  ND  ND  ND  ND

26
Revlon (Ruby - 85)  ND  ND  ND  ND

27
Revlon (Frost Grape Juice - 164)  ND  ND  ND  ND

28
Revlon (Copper Glow Berry-311)  ND  ND  2.43  2.18

29
YSL (Current Rose - 10)  ND  ND  ND  0.99

30 YSL (Satiny Radiance - 26)  ND  ND  ND  ND

 Lip-balms      
 
1
The Body Shop (Lip Care)  ND  ND  ND  ND

2
The Body Shop (Plum Lip-balm) ND ND ND ND

3
Himalaya (Lip-balm)  ND  ND  ND  ND

4
Lotus (Fresh mint)  ND  ND  ND  ND

5
Lotus (Velvety Rose)  ND  ND  ND  ND

6
Maybelline (Baby Lips)  ND  ND  ND  ND

7
Maybelline  (Baby Lips Color)  ND  ND  ND  ND

8
Nivea (Essential Care)  ND  ND  ND  ND

 Anti ageing creams        

1
L’Oreal (Youth Code)  ND  ND  ND  ND

2
Olay (Total Effects)  ND  ND  ND  ND

3
Ponds (Age Miracle)  ND  ND  ND  ND


 Mercury in fairness (skin whitening) creams (in parts per million)
ND: Not detected   


S. No. - Company name/ product name  Manufacturer  - Total Mercury (ppm)
Mercury as HgCl2 (ppm)

1
Fair & Lovely multi Vitamin  daily fairness cream  Hindustan Unilever Ltd.  ND  ---
2
Fairever  CavinKare Pvt. Ltd.  ND  ---

3
Garnier Skin Naturals, Light  L'Oreal India Private Ltd.  ND  ---

4
L'Oreal Pearl Effect   L'Oreal India Private Ltd.  0.70  0.95

5
Fair & Lovely Winter Fairness Hindustan Unilever Ltd. ND ---

6
Fair & Lovely Ayurvedic Care  Hindustan Unilever Ltd.  0.10  0.14

7
Fair & Lovely Anti Marks  Hindustan Unilever Ltd.  0.73  0.99

8
Vivel Active Fair  ITC Ltd.  0.23  0.31

9
Ponds White Beauty  Hindustan Unilever Ltd.  1.36  1.84

10
Lakme Perfect Radiance  Aero Pharma  0.19  0.26

11
Fair One Shahnaz Husain  Elder Pharmaceuticals Ltd.  ND  ---

12
Emami Malai Keshar Cold Cream Emami Limited 0.22  0.30

13
Neutrogena Fine Fairness Johnson & Johnson Corea Ltd. ND ---

14
Lotus Cocofair Cream  Kanidi Cosmeceuticals  0.81  1.10

15
Lotus White Glow  Kanidi Cosmeceuticals  ND  ---

16
Nivea Sparkling Glow Beiersdorf (Thailand)  Co.Ltd. ND ---

17
Biotique Bio Coconut  Bio Veda Action Research Company 0.24 0.32

18
Olay Natural White Procter & Gamble Home Products Ltd.  1.79 2.42

19
VLCC Enbrighten (Sun Defence)   VLCC Personal Care Ltd.  0.11 0.15

20
Aroma Magic Fair Lotion Blossom Kochhar Beauty Products Pvt. Ltd.  1.97 2.67

21
Lakme   Aero Pharma  ND  ---

22
Lotus Micro emulsion  Kanidi Cosmeceuticals  ND  ---

23
Lotus Fair Gel  Kanidi Cosmeceuticals  ND  ---

24
Himalaya Herbals Fairness Cream Himalya Drug Company ND ---

25
Revlon Touch and Glow  G.S. Pharmbutor Pvt Ltd.  0.25  0.34

26
Jovees Pearl Whitening Face Cream Jovees Herbal Care. ND ---

  Fairness creams for men     
 
27
Fair & Lovely Max Fairness   Hindustan Unilever Ltd.  ND  ---

28
Emami Fair and Handsome  Emami Limited  ND  ---

29
Garnier Men Power Light  L'Oreal India Private Ltd.  0.24  0.32

30
L'Oreal Men Expert  L'Oreal India Private Ltd.  ND  ---

31
Vaseline Men Face  Aero Pharma  ND  ---

32
Nivea Advance Whitening For Men  Beiersdorf (Thailand) Co. Ltd. ND ---

Source - CSE

Reality views by sm –

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Tags – Mercury 44% Company Cream Names

2 comments:

Destination Infinity January 16, 2014  

I think all the harmful substances that are banned in the west are being dumped in India by local companies as well as MNCs. I wonder what explanation these companies can give for including toxic substances in their cream? BTW, I never knew there were so many brands in the cosmetics industry!

Destination Infinity