www.zeromercury.org ~ www.mercurypolicy.

org
Mercury in Skin Lightening Cosmetics
Summary: Women in many countries use cosmetic products that lighten their skin, in
pursuit of fair!skinned "eauty.# $ Some of the products may "e harmless, "ut others
contain potentially hazardous ingredients such as inorganic mercury compounds,
hydro%uinone, and steroids. &hese products are often applied to large areas of the skin,
left on the skin for hours at a time, and used repeatedly for weeks, months or years.
Mercury!containing skin lightening cosmetics pose significant risks to users. Mercury
a"sor"ed through the skin from lightening products can damage the skin itself, the
kidneys, and the ner'ous system. (o'ernments urgently need to restrict the production,
sale and distri"ution of the products and educate consumers a"out the hazards they pose.
Merkuri dalam kosmetik pencerah kulit
Summary : )erempuan di "er"agai negara menggunakan produk kosmetik pencerah kulit,
in pursuit of fair!skinned "eauty.# *e"erapa produk mungkin "er"ahaya karena
mengandung "ahan "er"ahaya seperti merkuri anorganik, hidrokuinon dan steroid.
)roduk! produk kosmetik ini "iasanya digunakan pada kulit dalam +angka waktu yang
lama. )enggunaan kosmetik yang mengandung merkuri sangat "erisiko. Merkuri yang
tera"sor"si ke dalam kulit dari penggunaan produk kosmetik dapat mem"ahayakan kulit
itu sendiri, gin+al, dan sistem saraf.
&he )roducts:
Skin!
lighteners are
sold as
creams,
lotions and
soaps.
,undreds if
not thousands
of them are
a'aila"le in
the glo"al
market. &hose
that use
mercury as an acti'e ingredient often contain from - to $. percent mercury "y weight.
)roducts tested in a 'ariety of countries in /frica, /sia and Latin /merica and 0orth
/merica ha'e contained from 11. to 23,... parts per million 4ppm5 mercury.-
6nfortunately, the most effecti'e ingredients, which include mercury compounds and
hydro%uinone, are also the cheapest, and that induces many manufacturers to use them in
products, despite their well documented to7ic hazards.
&he )roduk : )emutih kulit di+ual dipasaran "erupa krim, lotion dan sa"un. *eri"u!ri"u
produk terse"ut "eredar di pasaran. 8ari produk!produk terse"ut yang mengandung "ahan
merkuri mencapai - ! $. 9 dari seluruh "erat produk terse"ut. 8i "er"agai negara di
/frika, /sia dan /merika Latin dan /merika 6tara, )roduk ! produk kosmetik terse"ut di
u+i dan hasilnya terdiri dari 11. sampai 23.... ppm 4parts per million5 merkuri.
Sayangnya, Merkuri dan hidrokuinon merupakan "ahan yang paling efektif dari produk
terse"ut, +uga merupakan "ahan yang paling murah, sehingga "anyak industri kosmetik
yang memakai "ahan!"ahan terse"ut ke dalam produknya, meskipun "ahan!"ahan
terse"ut masuk dalam daftar "ahan!"ahan yang toksik
:7tent of 6se: Skin lighteners are used "y large fractions of the population, primarily
women and young girls, in /sia, /frica and Latin /merica. Sur'eys report these figures
for use in specific countries: Senegal, -3 percent;< Mali, -2 percent;= &ogo, 2> percent;2
South /frica, <2 percent;1 0igeria, 33 percent;3 ,ong ?ong, =2 percent;@ Aepu"lic of
?orea, -@ percent;> Malaysia, =$ percent;$. &he )hilippines, 2. percent;$$ and &aiwan,
<3 percent.$- Systematic sur'ey data ha'e not "een collected in Latin /merica, "ut the
products are also widely used there and in the Cari""ean. &hey are also imported illegally
and used "y women in the 6nited States.$<,$=
When asked why they used the products, 1$ percent of the respondents to the sur'ey of
fi'e /sian countries said they felt they looked younger with a fair comple7ion.$2 Skin
lighteners are hea'ily marketed to women, with the message that they hold a key to
"eauty 4see ad at left5. &he sur'eys cited a"o'e and others ha'e found that many women
use the products for e7tended periods, up to -. years in some cases
:7tent of 6se :
:ffects of 6sing the )roducts: Women who use mercury!containing skin lighteners often
ha'e ele'ated mercury le'els in their hair, "lood and urine. Se'eral studies ha'e found
hair mercury le'els greater than $.. ppm in women using these products, compared with
a Bnormal range of "elow $. ppm.$3,$@,$> Similarly far a"o'e normal le'els of
mercury ha'e "een measured in urine of women in ?enya-. and &anzania-$ who used
mercury!containing skin -
lighteners, and users of these cosmetics in ,ong ?ong had ele'ated mercury le'els in
their "lood and urine
:fek )enggunaan )roduk : Wanita yang menggunakan produk kosmetik pemutih kulit
yang mengandung "ahan merkuri sering mengaki"atkan peningkatan le'el kandungan
merkuri di ram"ut, darah dan urin mereka. *e"erapa penelitian mendapatkan kandungan
le'el merkuri pada ram"ut pengguna kosmetik yang mengandung merkuri le"ih "esar $..
ppm, daripada orang yang tidak menggunakan produk kosmetik "er"ahan merkuri
terse"ut, yaitu di"awah $. ppm.
Long!term use of mercury!"ased skin lighteners often produces a characteristic Bslate
gray skin color.-< C'er!pigmented skin 4see photo at right5 is a common pro"lem
among /frican women, caused "y mercury andDor hydro%uinone in skin!lightening
creams, among other factors.-= /mmoniated mercury, used in some skin!lightening
creams, can cause rashes and allergic reactions 4photo to the left5. Cther ingredients in
these products, in particular steroids, also damage the skin, sometimes se'erely.-2,-1
)enggunaan produk kosmetik pemutih kulit yang mengandung merkuri dalam +angka
waktu lama sering menim"ulkan efek warna kea"ua!a"uan pada kulit. *erle"ihnya
pigmentasi pada kulit merupakan pro"lem diantara wanita /frika, yang dise"a"kan oleh
krim pemutih kulit yangg mengandung merkuri dan atau hidrokuinon. Merkuri yang
teramoniasi, digunakan pada "e"erapa produk krim pemutih kulit, yang dapat
menye"a"kan ruam dan reaksi alergi.