The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a health alert against three skin-lightening creams after laboratory tests found dangerously high levels of mercury and lead, warning that prolonged use could damage the kidneys, nervous system and skin. However, the creams continued to be available for purchase through several online sellers, including on Meesho. The three products declared “Not of Standard Quality” (NSQ) are Goree Beauty Cream, Face Fresh Gold (Beauty Cream and Beauty Serum) and Golden Star Beauty Cream. One of the products, Goree Beauty Cream, is reportedly manufactured in Pakistan.
The issue gained attention after entrepreneur and social media user Chirag Barjatya shared a post on X highlighting alleged cases from Maharashtra. According to Barjatya, doctors in Nagpur noticed that 18 women who developed kidney problems over a two-year period had one thing in common – they had all been using Goree Beauty Cream, which was allegedly being sold through Instagram pages and online marketplaces.
He claimed that FDA testing found the cream contained mercury levels 752 times above the legal limit.
Shah explained that mercury suppresses melanin production, making the skin appear lighter within days. However, he said the whitening effect is the result of chemical damage rather than healthy skin, while the toxic metal continues to be absorbed through the skin and accumulate in the kidneys over time. He urged people to check whether family members, friends or domestic workers were using such creams and dispose of them immediately if found.
See the post here:
18 women in Nagpur, Maharashtra complained about kidney problems to their doctors in the span of two years. Doctors saw a pattern and checked that all of them were using this pakistani cream sold by many Instagram pages and meesho.
FDA Maharashtra took the cream samples. Sent to… pic.twitter.com/LqPZayJQKV
— Chirag Barjatya (@chiragbarjatya) July 5, 2026
Maharashtra’s action comes on the back of several international bans on Goree-branded skin-lightening products. 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. Four years later, in 2025, the Philippines FDA issued a public health advisory against Goree Beauty Kit 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.
Kidney disease concerns
The regulatory action comes amid growing medical concern over the health risks associated with mercury-containing skin-lightening creams. Unregulated fairness and skin-whitening creams often illegally add heavy metals like mercury to suppress melanin production in the skin. When applied daily, this toxic heavy metal is absorbed through the skin and accumulates in the body, which can lead to direct cellular toxicity and immune-mediated damage to the kidneys.
A 2024 study published in the medical journal Kidney International linked the use of mercury-laced fairness creams to an increase in cases of Membranous Nephropathy (MN), a kidney disease that damages the organ’s filtering units and causes excessive protein leakage into the urine.
The study examined 22 patients diagnosed with the condition between July 2021 and September 2023 and found a strong association with prolonged use of skin-lightening creams containing high levels of mercury. Researchers warned that mercury absorbed through the skin can gradually accumulate in the kidneys, increasing the risk of long-term kidney damage.
