NYS orders LI companies to stop selling skin-lightening products with high mercury levels

State Attorney General Letitia James on Wednesday ordered three Long Island companies to stop selling skin-lightening creams and other cosmetics containing mercury.

James' office conducted an investigation that found Aleena Cosmetics, Axabee Skincare and Singhart LLC  sold  dozens of products with mercury levels up to 30,000 times greater than legally allowed. State legislation passed in 2022 prohibits the sale of cosmetics and other personal care products with mercury other than trace amounts, defined as less than one part per million.

"Mercury is poison, not a beauty treatment, and no company has any business selling it to consumers," James said in a news release. "Products with mercury levels this high are dangerous and illegal."

Mercury exposure can cause a variety of health issues, including neurological damage, harm to the kidney and liver, skin rashes, or risk fetal development, the attorney general’s office said.

"This is a vast criminal enterprise of unscrupulous manufacturers operating outside the U.S., selling in plain view worldwide through online platforms," said Michael T. Bender, co-coordinator of the Zero Mercury Working Group, in an interview. 

There isn't strong national or international enforcement against cosmetics with mercury, he added, comparing regulation of products sold on the internet to the "wild, wild west."

The state investigation followed reports of mercury in skin lighteners from public health advocates and community groups, according to a news release.

Aleena Cosmetics and Axabee Skincare are both based in Malverne. Singhart LLC is based in Valley Stream.

Aleena Cosmetics and Axabee Skincare have both posted recalls to their websites. 

Sana Sarwar, owner of Aleena Cosmetics, said in an email that the company immediately posted the recall and removed the listed products from their online store after receiving notice from the attorney general.

"To the best of our knowledge, the products we carried were obtained through lawful channels and cleared through standard import and customs procedures," Sarwar said. "Out of an abundance of caution and commitment to customer safety, we have permanently discontinued these products and are complying fully with all requirements. We would never risk the health or trust of our customers."

She added: "We have fully complied with the Attorney General’s order and are cooperating in every way to resolve this matter quickly and completely. Aleena Cosmetics is a small, independently operated online shop, and we have already implemented new internal procedures to ensure that this situation cannot occur again."

Spokespersons for Axabee Skincare and Singhart LLC could not immediately be reached for comment.

All three are required to confirm they’ve complied with the state orders within five business days, according to the state, at the risk of legal action and fines up to $2,500 per violation per day.

Skin-lightening products, also called "beauty creams" or "pearl creams," are often marketed to women of color, claiming to whiten the skin or treat dark spots, acne, scars, freckles and wrinkles, the attorney general’s office said.

The cosmetics are often sold in small shops, bodegas and online in immigrant and minority communities, and can contaminate other items they contact, such as towels and bedding.

Erum Hanif, CEO of APNA Brooklyn Community Center, said in a news release she has seen "many women and girls in the South Asian community using these products without being aware of their actual ingredients or understanding how harmful they can be."

"There is an urgent need for stronger measures to prevent the sale of harmful skin-lightening products," she said.

"It is egregious to see these products being marketed to people of color, especially women and girls, taking advantage of racist, Eurocentric beauty standards that encourage them to lighten their skin," said Peggy Shepard, co-founder and executive director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice, in a news release.

The state advises people to avoid products that do not list ingredients, are not labeled in English, and that list mercury, calomel, mercuric, mercurous or mercurio as an ingredient.

Those concerned they have been exposed can contact their doctors to test for exposure to mercury, which can cause symptoms such as irritability, tremors, memory problems and numbness.

A list of skin-lightening products with high levels of mercury has been published by the New York City Department of health online.

The illegal sale of products with mercury can be reported within New York City at 311, or, when outside the city, to the attorney general’s Environmental Protection Bureau or the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

There are specific sites to safely dispose of products with mercury, which should not be thrown in the garbage, the state said.

By Brianne Ledda

brianne.ledda@newsday.com@brianne_ledda

Brianne Ledda covers personal finance and affordability for Newsday. She previously covered Southold and Greenport for The Suffolk Times and is a graduate of Stony Brook University.