India’s drug regulator has issued a nationwide public health alert against two Pakistan-made skin-whitening creams after tests found excessive heavy metals beyond specified limits. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has identified Goree Beauty Cream and Chandni Whitening Cream as unauthorised cosmetics and warned consumers against purchasing or using them. The alert, issued through a public notice dated September 8, 2026, comes amid concerns over unregistered cosmetics entering the Indian market. The regulator has also directed enforcement authorities to ensure the products are not sold, distributed or advertised.

Which Pakistan-made fairness creams has India flagged?

Goree Beauty Cream (Made in Pakistan)

The fairness cream has been identified by CDSCO as an unauthorised cosmetic. The regulator’s testing found excessive heavy metals beyond specified limits.

Chandni Whitening Cream (Made in Pakistan)

The whitening cream has also been flagged for excessive heavy metals and the absence of the required import registration certificate. Product names and country of manufacture as shown in the CDSCO public notice.

What did the CDSCO notice say?

According to the public health notice issued by the Cosmetics Division of CDSCO, the regulator conducted testing and analysis of the two products. The notice states that the creams:

1. Are unauthorised for sale in India.
2. Have not been issued registration certificates for import by the competent authority.
3. Contain excessive heavy metals beyond the specified limits, which may pose health risks, including toxic effects.

The regulator has advised consumers not to purchase the two products and not to use them if they have already been bought. The warning applies specifically to the two named products. Consumers should not assume that every fairness or whitening cream is unsafe simply because it is a skin-whitening product.

Why are heavy metals in fairness creams a health concern?

Heavy metals are a major concern in cosmetic safety because certain metals can be toxic to the human body, particularly when exposure is repeated or prolonged. Some skin-lightening products have been associated with harmful substances such as mercury, which can damage the nervous system and kidneys. However, the CDSCO notice provided does not identify which specific heavy metals were found in Goree Beauty Cream or Chandni Whitening Cream, nor does it publish their measured concentrations. This means the notice confirms a regulatory safety concern, but it does not establish the exact health effects that either product has caused in consumers.

Can skin-whitening creams affect the kidneys?

Certain heavy metals, particularly mercury, can affect kidney function. Prolonged exposure to mercury-containing skin-lightening products has been linked to kidney damage. However, there is an important distinction between a potential health risk and a confirmed case of illness. The CDSCO notice says the products may pose health risks, including toxic effects. It does not state that these creams caused kidney problems in Nagpur or elsewhere. The claim that a Pakistan-made fairness cream caused kidney problems in Nagpur needs separate medical and regulatory verification. The supplied notice does not establish that link.

How did Pakistan-made creams enter Indian markets?

The exact route through which the two products entered India has not been established in the CDSCO notice. The document identifies the products as unauthorised and says they did not have the required import registration certificates. It also warns establishments and individuals against selling, distributing or advertising them. The presence of the products in Indian markets raises questions about how unauthorised cosmetics are being brought into the country and how they reach consumers. The CDSCO notice itself, however, does not name an importer, smuggler, distributor or specific route through which the creams entered India.

Did Pakistan-made creams have import registration certificates?

According to the CDSCO public notice, the two identified products had not been issued registration certificates for import by the competent authority for sale in India. This is one of the key findings in the regulator’s warning. Under India’s Cosmetics Rules, 2020, imported cosmetics must be registered with the Central Licensing Authority in accordance with the prescribed rules. Cosmetics manufactured in India require a licence from the State Licensing Authority for manufacture and sale. The notice reiterates that cosmetics sold to consumers must meet applicable safety and regulatory requirements.

What does the nationwide alert mean?

The alert has been circulated to:

• All State and Union Territory Drugs Controllers.
• All CDSCO zone, sub-zone and port offices.
• Stakeholders and consumers through the CDSCO website.

Regulatory enforcement units have been requested to ensure that the unauthorised products are not sold within their jurisdictions. The notice also warns establishments and individuals not to sell, distribute or advertise the creams. This is a regulatory warning and enforcement direction. It does not, by itself, establish that every retailer or online seller of the products knowingly violated the law.

What should consumers do?

CDSCO has advised consumers not to purchase the two named products and not to use them if they have already been purchased. For other cosmetics, consumers should:

• Check the manufacturer’s details and manufacturing licence information.
• Look for the batch number, manufacturing date and expiry date.
• Check the import registration number on imported cosmetics.
• Avoid products with unclear or misleading labelling.

Be cautious of fairness creams that promise rapid skin whitening without clear ingredient and manufacturer information.If you have already used one of the flagged creams and develop persistent skin irritation, swelling, unusual pigmentation or other concerning symptoms, consult a dermatologist. If you are worried about possible heavy-metal exposure, tell the doctor the exact product name and take the packaging with you if available.

Are unauthorised cosmetics entering India?

The CDSCO alert highlights a wider consumer safety concern: whether cosmetics that lack required registration and safety compliance are reaching Indian buyers. The regulator’s warning against Goree Beauty Cream and Chandni Whitening Cream follows earlier directions to strengthen surveillance of imported cosmetics sold without valid registration certificates.

For consumers, the immediate message is clear: avoid the two named products. For authorities, the notice raises the need to identify how unauthorised cosmetics enter the market and ensure that sellers and distributors comply with India’s cosmetic safety rules. The supplied CDSCO notice confirms excessive heavy metals and missing import registration for the two products. It does not establish a Nagpur kidney-disease outbreak, a specific smuggling route or a confirmed causal link between these creams and kidney damage. The alert is listed on the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation website. CDSCO Public Notices: Public Health Alert Against Unauthorised Cosmetics Products. (NDTV)

The post India issues nationwide alert against Pakistan-made fairness creams over heavy metals presence appeared first on Newswire.

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has seized cosmetics worth nearly Rs. 10 million, found without mandatory labeling, during a raid in Pettah, Colombo.

Acting on information provided by the Police Special Unit, CAA officials carried out the raid yesterday (09) at a warehouse on Pettah’s main street. 

The confiscated consignment included imported skin‑whitening creams and lotions.

Authorities confirmed that the seized products lacked legally required details such as the date of manufacture, expiry date, manufacturer’s name, and importer’s information, a serious violation of consumer protection laws.

Officials emphasized that the goods were taken into custody before they could reach the retail market.

The CAA has already collected samples from 13 different brands, which have been sent for laboratory testing and further legal proceedings. (Newswire)

The post Unlabelled cosmetics worth Rs. 10 million seized in Pettah appeared first on Newswire.

The Colombo Additional Magistrate’s Court has called for a Government Analyst’s report regarding the quality of whitening creams produced and distributed by a company run by Sri Lankan model Piumi Hansamali, it was reported. 

According to media reports, the order was issued by Colombo Additional Magistrate Nuwan Kaushalya yesterday (15) to the Department of Criminal Investigation’s Illegal Assets and Intellectual Property Investigations Division. 

The Government Analyst’s report has been called for to verify whether the creams distributed by Hansamali’s company are safe for human use.

It is reported that the Illegal Assets and Intellectual Property Investigations Division had made a request to the court in this regard. 

Furthermore, the department has also launched investigations into allegations that Piumi Hansamali has purchased assets beyond her declared income.

These include a Range Rover worth Rs 80 million used by a former President, a house in Colombo 7 valued at Rs 148 million, and 19 bank accounts owned by Hansamali. 

Inquiries into Hansamali’s assets have been launched based on a complaint submitted by civil society activist Sanjaya. (Newswire)

The post Govt Analyst report called for Piumi Hansamali’s whitening creams appeared first on Newswire.