Bad news for women who apply beauty creams to lighten their skin tone

Skin lightening creams increasing health risk
Skin lightening creams increasing health risk
| Published July, 7 2026 | Updated
Lahore (Web Desk): It has come to light that beauty creams claiming to lighten skin tone within just a few days are, in fact, harmful to health. Following this revelation, the Punjab Drug Regulatory Authority has ordered the immediate removal of specific batches of well-known local brands from the market.

 According to the Drug Regulatory Authority, laboratory testing confirmed the presence of banned mercury in several popular beauty creams, a substance known to be extremely harmful to human health and prohibited for use in cosmetic products.

Experts explain that mercury is absorbed into the body through the skin and can affect vital organs, including the kidneys, along with other important organs. They further warn that continued, long-term use of such mercury-laced products carries a serious risk of causing severe and lasting medical complications, making the issue a matter of real concern for regular users of these creams.

Also Read: China eyes $1 billion investment in Pakistan’s pharma sector

In a separate but related disclosure, authorities revealed that five homeopathic medicines were found to contain ingredients from allopathic medicines, a violation of the standards these products are supposed to follow. Following this discovery, regulatory action has also been initiated against these homeopathic products as well.

The development is likely to raise fresh concerns among consumers, particularly women who commonly use over-the-counter beauty creams for skin lightening, and may prompt further scrutiny of similar products currently available in the market.

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