The history of combating pigmentation: from toxic agents to biotechnology

2025-03-31

For thousands of years, women have sought to get rid of pigmentation, as an even and fair skin tone was considered the standard of beauty. The ancient civilizations of China, Egypt, and Greece left us with a variety of skin lightening products, including plant extracts, as well as hazardous substances such as lead, mercury, and arsenic.

One of the most famous and dangerous was Venetian lead, which gained popularity in the Middle Ages. Its use caused severe poisoning and even death among aristocrats and wealthy people. One of the victims of this trend was Queen Elizabeth I of England, whose death was probably caused by chronic lead poisoning.

Unfortunately, toxic skin lightening products are still available for sale through platforms like Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, and other online stores. According to research by the Zero Mercury Working Group, many skin lightening products contain mercury in concentrations that exceed acceptable levels.

These products are sold worldwide, and in Europe and the US they are particularly popular among women of African, Indian and Caribbean descent. However, a significant proportion of these dangerous products are manufactured in the US, UK and EU countries. In most countries around the world, including the US, EU and UK, the use of mercury in cosmetics is banned due to serious health risks.

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