Reuters: More than 20 mercury-based whitening products were available online, despite international bans

More than 20 skin-whitening products included on lists of banned products were found for sale on Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop in the United States, France, India, the United Arab Emirates and Belgium. Reuters identified the listings on September 1 as part of an analysis based on publicly available information. The products did not list mercury among their ingredients, and the agency could not independently confirm the presence of the substance.

Mercury is banned in the manufacture, import and sale of these products in more than 150 countries under the Minamata Convention. The World Health Organization warns that the substance can harm the kidneys, brain and nervous system and maintains that there is no safe level of exposure.

The investigation shows that some products removed from platforms quickly reappear under misleading names or through other sellers. These include creams and soaps manufactured in Pakistan, Mexico and the Philippines. The products are sought for their rapid effects and low price, while the skin-whitening industry is worth billions of dollars.

Amazon, Temu and TikTok said they prohibit the sale of these products and are taking measures to remove the listings and penalize sellers. Nevertheless, most of the listings identified by Reuters were still active at the time of verification. U.S. and French authorities announced inspections, warnings and recalls, but acknowledge the difficulties of monitoring cross-border e-commerce.