Despite Ban, Pak's Toxic Fairness Cream Sold In Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh

New Delhi: India has stopped trade with Pakistan but even so, a fairness cream smuggled from across the border has flooded the market. Despite warnings about its high-risk contents, its sale continues unabated in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and several other parts of the country.The Goree Beauty Cream -- priced between Rs 380 and Rs 800 -- is sold in markets and is also available across all online platforms.After lab tests, health experts said it contains heavy, toxic metals like mercury and lead, which, once absorbed by the skin, can cause mayhem in internal organs like liver and lungs.The cream has 5,000 ppm (parts per million) of mercury, whereas the level should be less than 1 ppm.How The Cream WorksDoctors said once this cream is absorbed by the skin, its mercury and lead components -- which have no place in the human body -- interfere with the production of melanin, the pigment responsible for skin color. Because it inhibits melanin production, the skin appears lighter.However, once the use of the cream is discontinued, the skin's original color returns.What Happens Inside The BodyAfter application, the cream initially targets the skin, which turns red and itchy. With prolonged use, the skin also becomes thin and blood vessels become visible.Once absorbed, the heavy metals travel through the bloodstream to the brain and nervous system and acting as neurotoxins, cause irreversible damage. When the body tries to flush out these toxins, they accumulate in the kidneys and liver.What States Are DoingMaharashtra has banned the cream after its doctors pieced together the story when they found 18 women suffering from severe kidney damage. The only thing they had in common was the cream, they found. Subsequent lab tests confirmed the disturbing presence of lead and mercury.The cream, though, is still available in markets and online platforms in both Maharashtra and neighbouring Madhya Pradesh.Police sources said the cream is entering Madhya Pradesh via Amravati and Nagpur, passing through Khandwa and Burhanpur, and subsequently reaching various parts of the state. The police are currently investigating the routes through which these Pakistani products are entering India.International BansThe Goree-branded skin-lightening products have been banned in many parts of the world.In 2021, New Zealand's medicines regulator Medsafe told consumers to stop using Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene after lab tests found both mercury and lead in it.In 2025, the Philippines FDA issued a public health advisory against the firm's products, citing lack of regulatory approval and safety concerns. The FDA also found that the products violated cosmetic regulations by lacking mandatory labelling details such as the manufacturer's name and address, batch number, manufacturing date and expiry date.