HONG KONG : The Hong Kong government Thursday warned the public about the poisoning hazard of a beauty cream that contains more than 30,000 times as much mercury as allowed under regulatory limits.
The appeal followed a report of a 39-year-old woman who suffered from mercury poisoning after using the Whitening Sunblock Cream bought in South China's Shenzhen city.
The health department said chemical analysis of two bottles of the cream found the mercury content was 34,000 parts per million (ppm) and 38,000 ppm respectively, compared with the regulatory limit for cosmetics in China of one ppm.
Although the woman suffered only from a skin rash, authorities warned mercury poisoning could cause hand tremors, visual or hearing loss, memory deterioration, irritability and sleeping difficulties.
The metal can damage kidneys resulting in oedema, particularly in the ankles and legs. It can also pass from a pregnant woman to her fetus resulting in impaired brain development.
The product was not believed to be on sale in Hong Kong.
- AFP /ct
yeowch. does singapore govt screen skincare products before they come in? there must be some kind of guidelines rite?
