UK shoppers warned over spread of harmful and illegal skin lightening kits | Health

Illegal skin lightening products are being sold in an increasingly wide range of outlets across the UK, including butchers, specialist food stores and small grocery stores, trading standards officials have warned.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) warns that many products contain banned substances due to the serious health risks they pose, including skin damage, infections and pregnancy complications.

Agents say that in addition to being online, they find them more frequently in Asian and Arab stores, as well as specialty butchers and grocery stores in other diverse communities, where the products are primarily intended.

Tendy Lindsay, former president of CTSI, said: “As a Black woman and long-time advocate for equality, diversity and inclusion, I want to be absolutely clear: the sale of illegal skin lightening products is not only dangerous, it is illegal.

“Many of these products contain banned substances such as high levels of hydroquinone, mercury or powerful corticosteroids. Under UK product safety and cosmetics legislation, these ingredients are strictly prohibited due to the serious and sometimes irreversible damage they can cause, including thinning of the skin, organ damage and other long-term health complications.”

She said that regardless of their size, stores have a legal responsibility to ensure the products they sell are safe and comply with the law, without any knowledge or defense.

The CTSI said the use of skin lightening products was influenced by complex social and personal factors, including colorism in some Black and Asian communities.

He cited a recent BBC Morning Live report in which a woman named Arlene spoke about her experience of colorism and racism linked to her skin tone from a young age, including at school. This led her to use skin lightening products containing banned and harmful ingredients without understanding the risks involved and their illegality.

Daniel, from Essex, told the program he used an unlabeled skin whitening lotion when he was a teenager to try to combat dark spots caused by acne, without knowing it contained the banned substance hydroquinone, which the Local Government Association described as “the biological equivalent of paint stripper”. He then used similar products all over his body to achieve a lighter, consistent complexion, which resulted in permanent skin damage.

Lindsay said: “We are increasingly seeing these items sold in everyday local stores, sometimes without a full understanding of the risks involved. But the law is clear: consumer safety comes first.”

“I am also deeply concerned about the social pressures that fuel demand for these products. Colorism and harmful beauty standards can create vulnerability, and unscrupulous marketers exploit these insecurities for profit.

“Everyone deserves to be confident in their natural skin and everyone deserves the protection of the law.”

A beauty store in south London was recently fined more than £30,000 for selling dangerous skin lightening products, with more cases progressing through the courts.

Trading Standards and partner organizations say awareness and education are essential alongside enforcement, particularly for groups most at risk.

Consumers are advised that cosmetic products sold legally in the UK must display ingredients in English and include the name and address of a UK-based manufacturer or importer. Products which contain hydroquinone, mercury or corticosteroids such as clobetasol propionate or betamethasone, or which do not have clear labeling in the UK, should be avoided, says the CTSI.

Consumers are also cautioned that they should never use skin lightening products on children and should always consult a doctor or dermatologist before using lotions intended to change skin tone.

CTSI says its agents have identified a growing market for these creams on social media platforms, where influencers promote products directly to consumers without proper oversight.

It warns buyers to never purchase from unverified sellers or social media accounts, avoid purchasing cosmetics from online marketplaces, and report suspicious beauty products and those that cause an adverse reaction.