Skin Whitening Products: Mental and Physical Degeneration

The use of some skin whitening creams, unusually popular amongst Asian women, ^{[1] [2]} has detrimental effects toward IQ. Skin whitening products, often contain toxic chemicals that affect the nervous system such as hydroquinone or mercury as the active ingredient. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6] [7]} A major portion skin whitening products, especially popular sold in stores around Asia, have been criticized by many, such as the FDA, for the presence of these toxic chemicals. ^{[8] [9] [10]}

When applied, mercury and hydroquinone absorbs through the skin into bloodstream. Studies shown that an increase in 100 micrograms of mercury in blood decreases IQ by an average of 14 points in children. The effects of mercury poisoning and hydroquinone poisoning have produced mental and physical disorders, such as autism, low verbal IQ, and low social intelligence, caused by the use of mercury-containing and hydroquinone-containing cosmetic products, including skin-whitening products. ^{[11] [12] [13] [14]} Thus, the IQs tested from Asians, might not measure their "potential" IQs because of mercury and hydroquinone poisoning from skin whitening products. The use of skin whitening products is especially popular in Hong Kong, ^[15] which is the nation with the highest average IQ (the average IQ is 107).^[16] However, a majority of products sold there are cited by Hong Kong officials to contain mercury as its active ingredient, often a whopping 27,000 to 60,000 times the "acceptable" dose. ^[15] Skin whitening products, which a majority sold in Asian nations contain mercury or hydroquinone, are also very harmful to the brain development of fetuses in pregnant women. ^{[17] [18] [19] [20] [21]}

Besides the effects on the brain, skin whiteners generally contain carcinogens, cause kidney failure and even death.^[7]

Effects of skin whiteners can be evidenced by the strong autism rate in Japan, occurring approximately 2 out of 100 births. ^[22] Some research has suggested that exposure to mercury can cause autism in fetuses and children. ^{[12] [23]} Therefore, studies have suggested that topical Hg-based skin creams, such as skin whiteners and infant teething powders, can cause autism due to its mercury content. ^{[12] [24]}

Effects of skin whiteners can also be evidenced by studies that found relatively low verbal IQ scores of Japanese children, compared to their high spatial IQ. (Lynn, 2006, pp. 121-148) Since mercury lowers verbal IQ, ^[12] the comparatively low verbal IQ of Japanese people might be caused by skin whiteners (the verbal IQ of Japanese is 101.4, still slightly higher than white average of 100^[25]). Also the high Autism Spectrum Quotient of Japanese people might also be caused by skin whitening products. ^[26]

References

1. ^ In a survey, 28% of Koreans and 50% of Philippians say that they use skin whitening products. Skin lightening in Asia? A bright future?, http://www.synovate.com/knowledge/infact/issues/200406/ 


2. ^ "Glamour at a price in Asia". http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/05/01/news/skin.php. 



3. ^ Counter, S. Allen (Dec 16, 2003), Whitening skin can be deadly, The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/news/globe/health_science/articles/2003/12/16/whitening_skin_can_be_deadly/ 


4. ^ Heyward, Georgia (Feb 5, 2005), New York City Warns: Some Skin Creams Are Poisonous, The Epoch Times, http://en.epochtimes.com/news/5-2-5/26302.html 


5. ^ Mercury in Cosmetic Skin Whitening Creams, http://www.hgtech.com/Data/Other/Hg%20Cream.htm 



6. ^ "The Emerging Skin-Whitening Industry". http://www.counterpunch.org/mire07282005.html. 


7. ^ ^{a b} "Self-hatred leads to skin bleaching". http://www.thestatesmanonline.com/pages/news_detail.php?section=7&newsid=3866. 



8. ^ FDA Proposes Hydroquinone Ban, http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=64167  FDA bans hydroquinone in skin whitening products


9. ^ Skin-lightening creams face FDA ban: Dermatologists defend treatment, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20070128/ai_n17159064  FDA bans hydroquinone in skin whitening products


10. ^ Nyc Health Dept. Warns Against Use Of "Skin-Lightening" Creams Containing Mercury Or Similar Products Which Do Not List Ingredients, Jan 27, 2005, http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/pr/pr008-05.shtml 



11. ^ Skin Lightening, http://www.cosmeticscop.com/learn/article.asp?PAGETYPE=ART&REFER=SKIN&ID=25  Article that links skin whitening products to mercury and hydroquinone


12. ^ ^{a b c d} Countera, S. Allen; Leo H. Buchanan. Mercury exposure in children: a review. http://www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/cehsweb/kiddiekollege/documents/counter04_mercuryexpochildren.pdf. 



13. ^ Clarkson; Thomas, Magos, Laszlo. The Toxicology of Mercury and Its Chemical Compounds. http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/tandf/btxc/2006/00000036/00000008/art00001?crawler=true. 


14. ^ Mahaffey, Kathryn R., Dynamics of Mercury Pollution on Regional and Global Scales, http://www.springerlink.com/content/w245027uu23r4381/ 


15. ^ ^{a b} Bray, Marianne, SKIN DEEP: Dying to be white, CNN, http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/east/05/13/asia.whitening/ 



16. ^ Lynn, R. and Vanhanen, T. (2002). IQ and the wealth of nations. Westport, CT: Praeger. ISBN 0-275-97510-X


17. ^ Asian Skin Tanning Article, http://www.chinatownconnection.com/asian_skin_tanning.htm  An argument that links skin whitening products to the development of the brain of a fetus of pregnant Asian women, both mercury and hydroquinone. Therefore it is not WP:SYN


18. ^ Mercury Fact Sheet, http://www.zeromercury.org/fact_sheet/index.htm  Another argument that links skin whitening products to the development of the brain of a fetus of pregnant Asian women. Therefore it is not WP:SYN



19. ^ Does Low Mercury Containing In-Lightening Cream (Fair & Lovely) Effect The Kidney, Liver, And Brain Of Female Mice?, http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a713930964~db=all  Another argument that links skin whitening products to the development of the brain of a fetus of pregnant Asian women, both mercury and hydroquinone. Therefore it is not WP:SYN


20. ^ Yang MG, Krawford KS, Garcia JD, Wang JH, Lei KY (1972). "Deposition of mercury in fetal and maternal brain". Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 141 (3): 1004-7. PMID 4645746. 



21. ^ Shafiq-ur-Rehman, Rehman S, Chandra O, Abdulla M (1995). "Evaluation of malondialdehyde as an index of lead damage in rat brain homogenates". Biometals 8 (4): 275-9. PMID 7580048. 


22. ^ Honda H, Shimizu Y, Misumi K, Niimi M, Ohashi Y (1996). "Cumulative incidence and prevalence of childhood autism in children in Japan". The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science 169 (2): 228-35. PMID 8871801. 



23. ^ Nelson, Karin B.; Margaret L. Bauman. Thimerosal and Autism?. doi:10.1542/peds.111.3.674. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/111/3/674. 


24. ^ Zahir, Farhana. Low dose mercury toxicity and human health. doi:10.1016/j.etap.2005.03.007. 



25. ^ Lynn, R. (2006). Race differences in intelligence: An evolutionary analysis. Augusta: Washington Summit Publishers.


26. ^ Wakabayashi A, Tojo Y, Baron-Cohen S, Wheelwright S (2004). "The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) Japanese version: evidence from high-functioning clinical group and normal adults" (in Japanese). Shinrigaku kenkyu : The Japanese journal of psychology 75 (1): 78-84. PMID 15724518.