Warnings about skin-whitening creams after woman suffers vision loss likely linked to excess mercury: report
How much do you know about the creams you're using?
Health experts recommend being wary of skin-whitening creams after a Minnesota woman apparently developed peripheral visual loss that may be permanent — likely from exposure of excess levels of mercury in her beauty creams, according to a report.
"Mercury poisoning from skin-whitening creams can be very serious, as it causes nervous system damage that can be permanent," Dr. Eric Lavonas, a toxicologist with Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety in Denver, Colorado, and a spokesperson for the American College of Emergency Physicians, told Fox News Digital.
"The best way to protect yourself is to stick to clearly labeled and FDA-approved creams and cosmetics," he also said.
Why is mercury found in skin-whitening products?
Melanin is the skin’s natural pigment that gives color to our skin, hair and eyes, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Mercury is often added to skin-whitening creams to block the melanin in the skin.
"It’s not safe to assume that by just reading the label, an individual can know the ingredients that are in the products," Amira Adawe, founder and executive director of the Beautywell Project in Minnesota, told Fox News Digital.
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How much do you know about the creams you're using?
Health experts recommend being wary of skin-whitening creams after a Minnesota woman apparently developed peripheral visual loss that may be permanent — likely from exposure of excess levels of mercury in her beauty creams, according to a report.
"Mercury poisoning from skin-whitening creams can be very serious, as it causes nervous system damage that can be permanent," Dr. Eric Lavonas, a toxicologist with Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety in Denver, Colorado, and a spokesperson for the American College of Emergency Physicians, told Fox News Digital.
"The best way to protect yourself is to stick to clearly labeled and FDA-approved creams and cosmetics," he also said.
Why is mercury found in skin-whitening products?
Melanin is the skin’s natural pigment that gives color to our skin, hair and eyes, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Mercury is often added to skin-whitening creams to block the melanin in the skin.
"It’s not safe to assume that by just reading the label, an individual can know the ingredients that are in the products," Amira Adawe, founder and executive director of the Beautywell Project in Minnesota, told Fox News Digital.
Warnings about skin-whitening creams after woman suffers vision loss likely linked to excess mercury: report
A report out of Minnesota indicates a woman saw multiple doctors for non-specific symptoms, which progressed to the loss of her peripheral vision, apparently tied to skin-whitening products.