Do you really know what is in the beauty products you are using? A Minnesota woman found out the hard way when high levels of mercury in her face cream led to a serious health scare.
The list of ingredients on the back of products can be super overwhelming with all their complex names. Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, dimethicone. Huh?!
Mercury is widely used in mascara, as well as skin-lightening creams, due to an active ingredient that is used to depigment skin. Although the Minamata Convention on Mercury has limits the concentration of mercury in such creams to 1 part per million, there are still dozens sold that exceed that amount.
The young woman had been using such creams for a prolonged period of time and experienced muscle weakness, insomnia, and leg pain. As a result of the mercury poisoning, she also lost her peripheral vision which she will not recover.
In addition to herself, the woman put the rest of her family at risk. High levels of mercury were discovered in her children’s bedrooms, the home’s laundry area, and even in the bedding and towels.
Mercury is not listed as an ingredient on labels and has no odor or ability to be seen. Health experts are thus hoping for increased awareness about the issue and for authorities to enforce safety regulations more strictly.
