At least 60 people over the past four years in California have suffered mercury poisoning from using skin creams — many of them homemade — that were brought from Mexico, according to the California Department of Public Health, which is advising consumers to avoid using the products. 
 
 The public health advisory issued Thursday includes creams that are used for lightening skin, fading freckles and blemishes, and treating acne. The creams, which are often light in color and turn dark after prolonged exposure to sunlight, usually come in plain containers either without labels or with handmade labels. 
 
 Analyses of some creams have found mercury levels 200,000 times the California legal limit. 
 
 Among those who have been sickened are several children who are believed to have been exposed to mercury after a parent or other family member used the cream. In a case earlier this year, a 20-month-old baby was hospitalized twice and given a nasal feeding tube due to mercury poisoning. The child’s mother was using a skin-lightening cream, and doctors believe the baby was exposed from contact with the mother or household items. In another case last year, a 16-year-old boy who used a cream for his acne was treated in a pediatric intensive care unit for almost a month for mercury poisoning. 
 
 Symptoms of mercury poisoning in adults include difficulty concentrating, irritability, depression, insomnia, headaches, weight loss and fatigue. Children may have excessive thirst, irritability, disinterest in eating, poor muscle tone, leg cramps or a rash. People can also experience tremors, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, or weakness in extremities. 
 
 People who believe they have been exposed to mercury in a skin cream should contact California Poison Control at (800) 222-1222. They should stop using the creams but not dispose of them unless told to do so, in case the products need to be tested. ||||| Español Tagalog 日本語 简体中文 한국어 Việt 
 
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 Whatever your complexion, it’s important to use products that will help your skin and not damage it. But as you wade through the beauty aisles, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cautions that you should avoid skin creams, beauty and antiseptic soaps, and lotions that contain mercury. 
 
 How will you know if mercury’s in the cosmetic, especially one that’s marketed as “anti-aging” or “skin lightening”? Check the label. If the words “mercurous chloride,” “calomel,” “mercuric,” “mercurio,” or “mercury” are listed on the label, mercury’s in it—and you should stop using the product immediately. 
 
 The products are usually marketed as skin lighteners and anti-aging treatments that remove age spots, freckles, blemishes, and wrinkles. Adolescents may use these products as acne treatments. 
 
 Jason Humbert of FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs says these products usually are manufactured abroad and sold illegally in the United States, often in shops catering to the Latino, Asian, African, or Middle Eastern communities. They are promoted online on social media sites and sold through mobile apps. Consumers may also have bought them in another country and brought them back to the U.S. for personal use, he adds. 
 
 If the ingredients aren’t listed and there is no product label, don’t assume it’s fine. Federal law requires that ingredients be listed on the label of any cosmetic or nonprescription drug, so do not use a product that doesn’t have a label. In addition, don’t use drugs or cosmetics labeled in languages other than English unless English labeling is also provided. That’s also a sign that the product may be marketed illegally. 
 
 “Even though these products are often promoted as cosmetics, they also may be unapproved new drugs under the law,” says Linda Katz, M.D., director of FDA’s Office of Cosmetics and Colors. FDA does not allow mercury in drugs or in cosmetics, except under very specific conditions where there are no other safe and effective preservatives available – conditions that these products do not meet. 
 
 Sellers and distributors who market mercury-containing skin whitening or lightening creams in the U.S. may be subject to enforcement action, including seizure of products, injunctions, and, in some situations, criminal prosecution. 
 
 Dangers of Mercury 
 
 Exposure to mercury can have serious health consequences. The danger isn’t just to people who use mercury-containing products but also to their families, says Arthur Simone, M.D., a senior medical advisor at FDA. 
 
 “Your family might breathe mercury vapors released from these products. Your children might touch washcloths or towels that are contaminated with mercury. It could be as simple as touching someone’s cheek or face,” Simone says. 
 
 Some people – including pregnant women, nursing babies and young children – are especially vulnerable to mercury toxicity, he adds. Babies may be particularly sensitive to the harm mercury can cause to their developing brains and nervous systems. Newborns who nurse are vulnerable because mercury is passed into breast milk. 
 
 Signs and Symptoms of Mercury Poisoning irritability 
 
 shyness 
 
 tremors 
 
 changes in vision or hearing 
 
 memory problems 
 
 depression 
 
 numbness and tingling in hands, feet or around mouth Source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (www.atsdr.cdc. gov/PHS/PHS.asp?id=112&tid=24) 
 
 Tracking Skin Products Containing Mercury 
 
 In the past few years, FDA and state health officials have discovered numerous products that contain mercury, and there have been cases in which people exposed to such products have had mercury poisoning or elevated levels of mercury in their bodies. FDA has an import alert in place that lets our field staff know that the agency has enough evidence or other information to refuse admission of shipments of mercury-containing skin products. 
 
 But this is only a partial solution, Humbert says. 
 
 “Many of these products are coming into the country through illegal channels,” he says. “That’s why it’s so important for consumers and sellers to know about the dangers of possible mercury poisoning associated with the use of these skin products.” 
 
 How to Protect Yourself 
 
 Thoroughly wash your hands and other parts of your body that have come in contact with products that contain mercury. 
 
 Contact your health care professional or a medical care clinic for advice. If you have questions, call your health care professional or the Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222; it is open 24 hours a day. 
 
 Before throwing out a product that may contain mercury, seal it in a plastic bag or leak-proof container. Check with your local environmental, health, or solid waste agency for disposal instructions. Some communities have special collections or other options for disposing of hazardous household waste. 
 
 Updated: July 26, 2016 
 
 back to top ||||| Inorganic mercury inhibits the production of pigment (melanin) in the skin and can lighten skin. However, mercury is harmful to health and to the environment and its use is banned in skin creams. 
 
 Studies from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority show there are a number of illegal products available on the market in Norway that contain mercury without it being listed among the ingredients. 
 
 Illustration photo: colourbox.com 
 
 We ingest low amounts of inorganic mercury via food but not enough to impact our health. Mercury in amalgam fillings can also contribute to inorganic mercury exposure. These are small and insignificant sources compared to the contribution that mercury in skin creams gives to those who use it. 
 
 Slowly decomposes 
 
 Inorganic mercury is absorbed through the skin from these creams. The absorbed amount will vary, depending on the mercury compound and the other ingredients. 
 
 
 
 If you use a lot of cream, more is absorbed into the body. The body excretes inorganic mercury slowly (half-life of 1-2 months) and mercury levels in the body may increase gradually with repeated use. 
 
 
 
 The amount of inorganic mercury in the body can be measured in urine. Several studies show a clear correlation between the use of mercury-containing creams and raised urine levels of mercury. 
 
 
 
 Children can ingest mercury by coming into contact with the skin of people using these creams. There are also examples of the use of these products on children. 
 
 Harmful to health: 
 
 Research suggests that there is a correlation between the use of mercury-containing skin creams and kidney damage and impaired renal function 
 
 There are also numerous reports of skin damage (different kinds of rashes, uneven pigmentation) after use of these creams 
 
 Damage to the central nervous system cannot be excluded with prolonged use 
 
 Users also report symptoms such as metallic taste, increased salivation, sores in the mouth and throat, and nausea 
 
 Since these products are illegal they are often not considered as a possible cause of health problems. Injury resulting from the use of such products is therefore probably underdiagnosed
– If someone tries to sell you unmarked or homemade skin cream, just walk away. That's the message the California Department of Health is sending to consumers, after identifying at least 60 cases over the past four years of state residents getting mercury poisoning from such creams, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. In a public health advisory yesterday, it revealed that analysts had found creams from Mexico designed to lighten skin, fade blemishes, and treat acne contained as much as 200,000 times the legal limit of mercury. The problem isn't a new one. The FDA and various state health departments have in recent years issued similar warnings, sounding the alarm about creams not just from Mexico, but from many countries. It warned customers to look for ingredients like "mercurous chloride," "calomel," "mercuric," "mercurio," or plain old "mercury." The products use mercury, Health Canal explains, because it suppresses the production of melanin in skin, lightening it. But it takes a long time for absorbed inorganic mercury to leave the body, so repeated use can raise the risk of harmful effects. Indeed, the Chronicle notes that a 16-year-old who used one such cream to treat his acne ended up in intensive care for nearly a month due to poisoning.