A quarter of a tonne of dangerous skin lightening creams were seized at Gatwick Airport in August. 

The cosmetics were identified by the UK Border Force after arriving on a flight from Cameroon. West Sussex Trading Standards officers sent samples for for safety testing.  Results showed that three of the products contained the potentially carcinogenic substance, hydroquinone.  All of the products seized were incorrectly labelled. None of the products could be legally sold in the UK.

Products containing Hydroquinone which haven’t been prescribed by a doctor are banned in all cosmetics sold to consumers in the UK as they can cause serious side effects if not used correctly.