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A recent alert from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has revealed that illegal skin lightening products are being sold not only online but also in unexpected locations such as butchers and specialty food shops throughout the UK. These products often contain dangerous substances that are banned due to their severe health risks.
According to the CTSI, the banned creams frequently include harmful ingredients like hydroquinone, mercury, and potent corticosteroids. These chemicals are prohibited because they are linked to serious side effects including skin damage, infections, and complications during pregnancy. The institute emphasized that these products are illegal and urged the public to avoid using them and to report any retailers continuing to sell such unsafe items.
CTSI member and former chair Tendy Lindsay spoke out strongly against the trade, stating, “As a black woman and a long-standing advocate for equality, diversity and inclusion, I want to be absolutely clear: the sale of illegal skin lightening products is not only dangerous, it is unlawful.” She highlighted the complex social and personal reasons behind the demand for such products, pointing to issues like colourism—a form of prejudice that prefers lighter skin tones—which can drive individuals to use these hazardous creams.
The dangers of these products are illustrated through personal experiences. For example, Daniel Murrell-Williamson from Essex shared his story on the BBC’s Morning Live, describing how, as a teenager, he unknowingly applied an illegal bleaching cream containing hydroquinone for two months to cover acne-related dark patches. He said, “I definitely saw a difference in my skin complexion and felt like I needed to keep up with it, because if I stopped, I would revert back to my original skin complexion.” The toxic ingredient in the cream weakens the skin and poses risks including cancer as well as liver and kidney damage. Meanwhile, others like Arlene Dihoulou have turned to these products after experiencing racism and colourism during childhood, often without understanding the associated health hazards.
Enforcement efforts have been ongoing, with a cosmetics shop in Peckham, London, recently fined £30,000 for selling illegal skin lightening products for a second time. Since 2002, Southwark borough alone has prosecuted 62 individuals or companies involved in selling these banned items. Notably, some illicit products have even been found stocked in butcher shops, as revealed by Southwark Trading Standards.
The CTSI advises consumers to avoid applying skin lightening products to children, to refrain from purchasing these creams from unverified sources or social media sellers, and to seek professional advice from doctors or dermatologists before using any products that claim to alter skin tone. Lindsay expressed deep concerns over the social pressures fueling demand, warning that “colourism and harmful beauty standards can create vulnerability.” She also cautioned suppliers, including those unaware of the illegality, that ignorance of the law “is not a defence.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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