Illegal skin lightening products are being sold in an increasingly wide range of UK outlets, including butchers, specialist food shops and small grocery stores, trading standards officers have warned.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) is warning that many of the products contain substances that are banned because of the serious risks they pose to health, including skin damage, infections and pregnancy complications.
Officers say that, as well as online, they are finding them more frequently in Asian and Arab stores, plus specialist butchers and grocery stores for other diverse communities, whom the products are primarily targeted at.
Tendy Lindsay, former chair of the CTSI, said: “As a Black woman and a longstanding 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 unlawful.
“Many of these products contain banned substances such as high levels of hydroquinone, mercury or potent corticosteroids. Under UK product safety and cosmetics legislation, these ingredients are strictly prohibited because of the serious and sometimes irreversible harm they can cause, including skin thinning, organ damage and other long-term health complications.”
She said that, regardless of size, shops had a legal responsibility to ensure the products they sell are safe and compliant with the law, with a lack of awareness no defence.
The CTSI said the use of skin lightening products was influenced by complex social and personal factors, including colourism in some Black and Asian communities.
It cited a recent BBC Morning Live report in which a woman named Arlène spoke about experiencing colourism and racism related to her skin tone from a young age, including at school. It led her to use skin lightening products containing banned and harmful ingredients without understanding the risks involved and that they were illegal.
Daniel, from Essex, told the programme that he had used an unlabelled skin whitening lotion as a teenager to try to combat dark patches caused by acne, unaware that it contained the banned substance hydroquinone, which the Local Government Association described as “the biological equivalent of paint stripper”. He later used similar products on his whole body to achieve consistent lighter skin tone, 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 first.
“I am also deeply concerned about the social pressures that fuel demand for these products. Colourism and harmful beauty standards can create vulnerability, and unscrupulous traders exploit those insecurities for profit.
“Everyone deserves to feel confident in their natural skin and everyone deserves protection under the law.”
In south London, a beauty store was recently fined more than £30,000 for selling dangerous skin lightening products, and further cases are progressing through the courts.
Trading Standards and partner organisations say awareness and education are essential alongside enforcement, particularly for groups most exposed to the risks.
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 that list hydroquinone, mercury or corticosteroids such as clobetasol propionate or betamethasone, or that lack clear UK labelling, should be avoided, CTSI says.
Consumers are also warned they should never use skin lightening products on children and should always speak to a doctor or dermatologist before using lotions intended to alter skin tone.
CTSI says its officers have identified a growing market for such creams on social media platforms, where influencers are promoting products directly to consumers without proper oversight.
It cautions shoppers to never buy them from unverified sellers or social media accounts, to avoid buying cosmetics from online marketplaces and to report suspicious beauty products and any that cause an adverse reaction.
