List of Banned Whitening Creams in Pakistan

Pakistan Standards and Testing Institutions on Monday banned the marketing of five brands of skin-whitening creams produced by Pakistani companies.

Five creams contained mercury far higher than the permissible limit while the rest two contained excessive amounts of hydroquinone, said a press release issued by Pak Standard on Monday.

The banned skin-whitening cream brands are Goree, Chandni, New Face, Dew, Golden Pearl, Faiza, Noor and White Pearl Plus. Golden Pearl brand contained 654.13 ppm mercury while the BSTI permissible limit of mercury in cosmetics is 1 ppm.

Noor and White Pearl Plus contained both mercury and hydroquinone in excessive amounts in the creams.

The press release said that the importers, distributors and marketers of the cream were asked not to market these products and withdraw marketed products immediately.