Article in the July 2013 edition of Minnesota Medicine, the regional medical journal of the Minnesota Medical Association. This article describes an investigation that involved interviewing Somali women about skin-lightening practices and the products they use and then testing those products for mercury. Eleven of the 27 product samples (47%) were found to contain mercury. Some exceeded the current FDA threshold of 1 part per million. This has prompted both state and federal health officials to issue warnings about the use of these products. The article presents a table with specific product names and their corresponding mercury levels.
Abstract
Somali women often use creams and soaps to lighten skin tone, fade freckles or get rid of age spots. Use of these products raises a health concern, as some have been found to contain mercury. This article describes an investigation that involved interviewing Somali women about skin-lightening practices and the products they use and then testing those products for mercury. Twenty-seven samples of products purchased at markets in Minneapolis and St. Paul were analyzed by the Minnesota Department of Health for specific mercury levels. Eleven of the 27 (47%) were found to contain mercury. Some exceeded the current FDA threshold of 1 part per million. This has prompted both state and federal health officials to issue warnings about the use of these products.
