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Skin lightening products containing the ingredients hydroquinone or mercury may cause harm. The over-the-counter sale of these products is illegal in the U.S. Read skin product labels to identify ingredients and consult with your health care provider about treatment options.
What are skin lightening products?
Skin lightening products are marketed as treatments for uneven skin tone, acne, age spots, freckles, and wrinkles. Companies may describe skin lightening products as skin bleaching, fading, evening, brightening, or whitening products.
These products are often sold in the form of creams, lotions, soaps, and powders in shops catering to Hispanic/Latino, Asian, African, or Middle Eastern communities.
What are hydroquinone and mercury?
Hydroquinone and mercury are ingredients added to skin lightening products to limit the skin’s production of melanin. Melanin is the pigment responsible for skin color. When you apply skin products with hydroquinone or mercury to your skin, your body absorbs these ingredients. With continued use, hydroquinone and mercury can build up in your body, which may cause harm.
The FDA has received reports of serious side effects from the use of hydroquinone, including rashes, facial swelling, and permanent skin discoloration (ochronosis). Mercury is a highly toxic metal that can damage the nervous, digestive, and immune systems, as well as the lungs, kidneys, skin, and eyes.
Does the FDA regulate the sale of skin lightening products with hydroquinone or mercury?
Skin lightening products containing hydroquinone are not approved for over-the-counter sale. However, you can get a prescription skin product containing hydroquinone from your health care provider. The use of mercury in skin lightening products is banned.
How do I know which skin lightening products contain hydroquinone or mercury?
When purchasing a skin lightening product, check the product label to see if it contains hydroquinone or mercury. Do not purchase over-the-counter skin lightening products containing these ingredients. Note that mercury may be listed as mercurous chloride, calomel, mercuric, mercurio, or Hg.
What else should I consider when purchasing an over-the-counter skin lightening product?
Some illegal skin lightening products containing hydroquinone or mercury may not list these ingredients on the label. Avoid products with handmade labels, labels in languages other than English, or no label at all. Products like these are in violation of FDA regulations and may be harmful.
Where can I learn more?
Get the Skin Facts! about skin product safety by visiting www.fda.gov/SkinFacts.
If you experience a bad reaction from the use of a skin product, please contact your health care provider. Report it to the FDA at www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm or by calling 1-800-FDA-1088.
For more information on health equity, visit www.fda.gov/healthequity.
Download the Skin Facts! Resources
- Fact Sheet: Skin Product Safety
- Brochure: Know What’s In Your Skin Products
- Infographics: Skin Product Safety
AdditionalLanguages
We hope that you find these translations useful. While the agency has attempted to obtain translations that are as faithful as possible to the English version, we recognize that the translated versions may not be as precise, clear, or complete as the English version. The official versions of these materials are the English versions.
(Arabic) عربي
- Fact Sheet: Skin Product Safety
- Brochure: Know What's in Your Skin Products
- Infographics: Skin Product Safety
الوثائق الموجودة أدناه متوفرة بعدة لغات أجنبية. وتقدم إدارة الغذاء والدواء تلك الترجمات كخدمة لجمهور دولي واسع. ونأمل أن تجدوا هذه الترجمات مفيدة. وفي الوقت الذي حاولت فيه الإدارة الحصول على ترجمات أقرب ما يمكن للنسخة الإنجليزية، فقد تبين لنا أن النسخ المترجمة ربما لا تكون بنفس الدقة أو الوضوح أو الكمال مثل النسخة الإنجليزية، ومن ثم فإن النسخة الرسمية من هذه الوثائق هي النسخة الإنجليزية.
中文 (Simplified Chinese)
- 情况说明书: 护肤产品安全 (Fact Sheet: Skin Product Safety)
- 手册: 了解您的护肤产品中含有什么成分 (Brochure: Know What's in Your Skin Products)
- 信息图表: 护肤产品安全 (Infographics: Skin Product Safety)
下列文件可用若干种文字阅读。美国食品药物监督管理局是为方便国际各界而提供这些译文的；希望它们对您有帮助。本局的心愿是力图让文件译文尽可能忠实于英文原文，但我们也知道译文会有不如原文精确、明晰的情况，甚至会有漏译的地方。因此，英文版是这些文件的正式文本。
英語(Traditional Chinese)
- 情況說明書: 護膚產品安全 (Fact Sheet: Skin Product Safety)
- 手冊: 瞭解您的護膚產品中含有什麼成分 (Brochure: Know What's in Your Skin Products)
- 信息圖表: 護膚產品安全 (Infographics: Skin Product Safety)
以下文件有幾種外語版本。美國食品及藥物管理局將這些翻譯作為一種服務提供給廣大的國際讀者。我們希望您覺得這些翻譯有用。儘管該機構已試圖獲得盡可能忠實於英文版本的翻譯，但我們認識到翻譯版本可能不如英文版本準確，清晰或完整。這些文件的正式版本為英文版本。
Français (French)
- Fiche d’information: La Sécurité Des Produits Pour La Peau (Fact Sheet: Skin Product Safety)
- Brochure: Sachez Ce Que Contiennent Vos Produits Pour La Peau (Brochure: Know What's in Your Skin Products)
- Infographie: La Sécurité Des Produits Pour La Peau (Infographics: Skin Product Safety)
Les documents ci-dessous sont disponibles en plusieurs langues. Ces traductions sont fournies par la FDA pour rendre service à un vaste public international. Nous espérons qu’elles vous seront utiles; nous avons pris le plus grand soin pour qu’elles soient le plus exactes possible, mais il peut arriver que le texte traduit ne soit pas aussi précis, clair ou complet que l’original en anglais. Veuillez noter que le texte officiel de ces documents est le texte anglais.
Kreyòl Ayisyen (Haitian Creole)
- Fey enfomasyon: Sekirite Pwodwi Po (Fact Sheet: Skin Product Safety)
- Bwochi: Konnen Sa’k Nan Pwodwi Pou Ou (Brochure: Know What's in Your Skin Products)
- Enfografi: Sekirite Pwodwi Po (Infographics: Skin Product Safety)
Dokiman ki anba yo disponib nan plizyè lang etranje (yo). FDA ofri tradiksyon sa yo kòm yon sèvis pou yon gwo odyans entènasyonal. Nou espere ke ou jwenn tradiksyon sa yo itil. Pandan ke ajans lan te eseye jwenn tradiksyon ki fidèl ke posib nan vèsyon angle a, nou rekonèt ke vèsyon tradui yo ka pa egzak, klè, oswa konplè tankou vèsyon angle a. Vèsyon ofisyèl dokiman sa yo se vèsyon angle a.
हिन्दी (Hindi)
- तथ्य पत्रक: त्वचा उत्पाद सुरक्षा (Fact Sheet: Skin Product Safety)
- विवरणिका: जानिए आपकी त्वचा उत्पादों में क्या ह (Brochure: Know What's in Your Skin Products)
- आलेख जानकारी: त्वचा उत्पाद सुरक्षा (Infographics: Skin Product Safety)
नीचे दिये गये दस्तावेज कई विदेशी भाषा(भाषाओं) में उपलब्ध हैं। FDA व्यापक अंतर्राष्ट्रीय समुदाय के लिए ये अनुवाद एक सेवा के रूप में प्रदान करता है। हमें आशा है कि आप इन अनुवादों को उपयोगी पायेंगे। हालांकि एजेंसी ने ऐसे अनुवाद पाने का प्रयास किया है जो यथासम्भव अंग्रेज़ी संस्करण जितने ही प्रामाणिक हों, फिर भी हम स्वीकार करते हैं कि अनुवादित संस्करण उतने सटीक, स्पष्ट, या पूर्ण न हों जितना कि अंग्रेज़ी संस्करण हैं। इन दस्तावेजों के अधिकारिक संस्करण अंग्रेज़ी संस्करण हैं।
Hmoob (Hmong)
- Daim Ntawv Teev Qhia Ntsiab Lus Tseeb: Kev Nyab Xeeb Hais Txog Tshuaj Pleev Kom Tawv Dawb (Fact Sheet: Skin Product Safety)
- Los Paub Yam Uas Muaj Nyob Rau Hauv Cov Tshuaj Pleev Kom Dawb (Brochure: Know What's in Your Skin Products)
- Kev Nyab Xeeb Hais Txog Tshuaj Pleev Kom Tawv Dawb (Infographics: Skin Product Safety)
Cov ntawv nram no muaj ua ntau hom lus. FDA muaj cov kev txhais ntawv no ua ib txoj kev pab rau ntau haiv neeg. Peb vam tias cov ntawv txhais no yuav pab tau koj. Txawm yog lub koom haum muab cov ntawv txhais kom yog li cov Lus Askiv npaum li yog tau los peb pom tias cov ntaub ntawv txhais yuav tsis raug kiag lub ntsiab, meej los sis tiav txhij txhua kiag li cov ntawv Askiv. Cov ntawv tseem ces yog Lus Askiv.
日本 (Japanese)
- ファクト・シート: スキンケア製品の安全性 (Fact Sheet: Skin Product Safety)
- あなたのスキンケア製品に何が入っているか、知っておきましょう (Brochure: Know What's in Your Skin Products)
- インフォグラフィック: スキンケア製品の安全性 (Infographics: Skin Product Safety)
以下の文書は数ヶ国語で提供されています。FDAは、広く国際的に閲覧できるよう、この翻訳を提供しています。この翻訳が役立つことを願っています。当局では英語版に忠実な翻訳を取得する努力を行っていますが、翻訳版は英語版のように正確、明確で完全なものではないことがあります。本文書の正式版は英語版です。
한국어 (Korean)
- 팩트 시트: 피부 제품 안전 (Fact Sheet: Skin Product Safety)
- 브로셔: 귀하의 피부 제품에 무엇이 함유되어 있는지 알아보십시오 (Brochure: Know What's in Your Skin Products)
- 인포그래픽: 피부 제품 안전 (Infographics: Skin Product Safety)
아래 문서들은 몇 개 외국어로 입수할 수 있습니다. FDA는 널리 있는 국제 독자들을 위한 서비스로서 본 번역본들을 제공합니다. 저희는 여러분에게 본 번역본들이 유용하기를 바랍니다. 당청(廳)은 가능한 한 영어 원본에 충실한 번역본들을 입수하려고 했습니다만, 저희는 번역본들이 영어 원본만큼 정확하거나, 분명하거나 또는 완전하지 아니할 수도 있다는 점을 인지합니다. 본 문서들의 공식 원본은 영어 원본입니다.
Soomaali (Somali)
- Xaashida Xaqiiqda: Badbaadada Waxyaabaha Maqaarka Soo Saara(Fact Sheet: Skin Product Safety)
- Buug-yar: FDA, Oo Ah Wakaalad Ka Tirsan Waaxda Caafimaadka (Brochure: Know What's in Your Skin Products)
- Macluumaadka: Badbaadada Waxyaabaha Maqaarka Soo Saara (Infographics: Skin Product Safety)
Dukumintiyada hoos ku lifaaqan waxa lagu heli karaa dhowr luqad(ood) oo shisheeye. FDA waxay turjumaadahan adeeg ahaan ugu fidisaa macaamiisha caalamiga ah ee ballaadhan. Waxaan rajeyneynaa in turjumaadahani ay noqdaan kuwo waxtar kuu leh. Inkasta oo ay wakaaladu isku dayday inay hesho turjumaado sida ugu macquulsan ugu dhigma nooca Ingiriisiga ah, haddana waxaan ogsoonahay in noocyada la tarjumay aysan noqon karin kuwo u saxsan, u cad, ama u dhammeystiran sida nooca Ingiriisiga oo kale. Nooca rasmiga ah ee dukumintiyadani waa nooca Ingiriisiga.
Tagalog
- Pilyego ng Katunayan: Kaligtasan Ng Produkto Para Sa Balat (Fact Sheet: Skin Product Safety)
- Polyeto: Alam Mo Kung Ano Ang Nasa Iyo Mga Produkto Ng Balat (Brochure: Know What's in Your Skin Products)
- Infographics: Kaligtasan Ng Produkto Ng Balat (Infographics: Skin Product Safety)
Ang mga dokumento sa ibaba ay maaring magagamit sa maraming (mga) banyagang wika. Inaalok ng FDA ang mga salin na ito bilang isang serbisyo para sa malawakang internasyonal na tagapanood. Inaasahan namin na ang pagsasalin na ito ay maging kapaki-pakinabang. Habang sinusubukan ng ahensya na makakuha ng mga salin na kasing tapat hangga't maaari sa bersyong Ingles, kinikilala namin na ang mga naisaling bersyon ay maaaring hindi kasing tumpak, kasing linaw, o kumpleto tulad ng Ingles na bersyon. Ang opisyal na bersyon ng mga dokumentong ito ay ang Ingles na bersyon.
Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
- Tờ Thông Tin: An Toàn Của Sản Phẩm Da (Fact Sheet: Skin Product Safety)
- Tài liệu quảng cáo: Biết Có Gì Trong Các Sản Phẩm Da Của Bạn (Brochure: Know What's in Your Skin Products)
- Đồ hoạ thông tin: An Toàn Của Sản Phẩm Da (Infographics: Skin Product Safety)
Các tài liệu dưới đây có sẵn bằng một số ngôn ngữ nước ngoài. FDA cung cấp các bản dịch này như một dịch vụ cho nhiều đối tượng quốc tế. Chúng tôi hy vọng rằng bạn thấy những bản dịch này hữu ích. Mặc dù cơ quan đã cố gắng có được các bản dịch trung thực nhất có thể so với phiên bản tiếng Anh, chúng tôi nhận thấy rằng các phiên bản được dịch có thể không chính xác, rõ ràng hoặc hoàn chỉnh như phiên bản tiếng Anh. Phiên bản chính thức của các tài liệu này là phiên bản tiếng Anh.
