Medsafe has issued a warning after a range of skin whitening products were found to contain mercury and lead.
The products include Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene, Goree Day and Night Beauty Cream Oil Free, and Golden Pearl Beauty Cream.
It comes after a case of possible mercury poisoning was reported in the upper North Island, the medical regulatory body said in a media release.
A sample of the product used by the patient was tested and found to have 24900 parts per million of mercury.
Two other brands of similar products were also found to contain high levels of mercury and lead, as did a second sample of the original product tested.
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“This is in breach of international conventions limiting mercury in cosmetic products to one part per million,” Medsafe said.
Anyone purchasing skin lightening or whitening products either in New Zealand or online have been urged to take precautions as “the presence of mercury is often not disclosed… but it is often included as an added ingredient”.
