Skincare products containing mercury banned by Malaysian authorities promoted online as 'chemical free'

"The advantages of Pinkkiss Beauty skincare," reads a Malay-language Facebook post shared in a group with more than 64,000 members on February 6, 2025.

The post claims the skincare products are able to whiten skin and treat blemishes, and are "approved by the Ministry of Health" and "chemical free". 

It includes five images that show the products, soaps and face creams, as well as purported users' before and after photos.

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Screenshot of the false Facebook post, captured on February 13. 2025

The product was advertised in similar Facebook posts here and here. 

But the Malaysian Ministry of Health has barred the sale of two Pinkkiss Beauty brand face creams advertised in the posts after it detected they contained traces of harmful chemicals.

Creams containing scheduled poisons

In a statement published on its official Facebook page on February 5, the Ministry of Health said Pinkkiss Beauty Care Herbal Cream contains mercury and betamethasone 17-valerate, while Pinkkiss Beauty Care Treatment Cream contains tretinoin, betamethasone 17-valerate and hydroquinone (archived link).

Mercury can lead to kidney and nerve damage while the use of tretinoin, betamethasone 17-valerate and hydroquinone require prescriptions, the ministry added.

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Screenshot comparison of the products shown in the false posts (left) and example images of Pinkkiss Beauty Care Herbal Cream and Pinkkiss Beauty Care Treatment Cream included in the ministry's advisory (right)

"Sellers and distributors of the cosmetics must stop the sale and distribution of these products immediately," the statement said, warning that anyone found doing so could face a 25,000 ringgit ($5,611) fine and three years in jail for a first offence under the Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984 (archived link). 

The ministry also warned the public against purchasing or using the products.

Adverse effects

Although mercury is known to help with pigmentation, it is dangerous and can be absorbed into the blood stream or emitted as vapours, said Dr Felix Yap Boon Bin, a consultant dermatologist at Malaysia's Sunway Medical Centre (archived link). 

"It can cause problems in the user and surrounding people, especially children. People sharing utensils and clothing or towels can get affected too. It leads to nerve and brain toxicity like trembling and numbness, loss of memory and irritability," Yap said.

Yap added that tretinoin, betamethasone 17-valerate and hydroquinone should only be used with a doctor's prescription as they cause side effects including an accumulation of pigmentation in the skin, cancer, sun sensitivity and skin thinning.

"Be careful with online advertisements and advice given by beauticians or individuals without medical knowledge or qualifications," Yap said. "It's best to seek advice from experienced dermatologists for all these problems."

In Malaysia, the list of qualified dermatologists can be found on the Dermatological Society of Malaysia website (archived link).

AFP has previously fact-checked misinformation related to consumer safety in Malaysia.