Fairness Creams Linked to Kidney Disease in 18 Women in Nagpur

Fairness creams used for skin lightening have allegedly caused serious kidney diseases in 18 women in Maharashtra’s Nagpur. 

An investigation by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that the creams contained toxic heavy metals such as mercury and lead at levels far above the permissible limit. 

As reports emerged that close to 20 women sought treatment at hospitals with similar symptoms over the past two years, skin lightening creams like Goree Beauty Cream, Face Fresh Gold and Golden Star Beauty Cream came



under the FDA scanner.

An FDA release, issued on Saturday evening, ordered an immediate stop to the use, sale and distribution of these three creams. Several allegations have risen that Goree Beauty Cream is reportedly manufactured in Pakistan. 

The same cream was banned by New Zealand's medicines regulator Medsafe in 2021, 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.