Do you often feel uneasy to step out of your home until you apply fairness creams, lipsticks and eye liners? If yes then you are at risk of damaging your kidneys and nervous system. These are not my words but the alarming bell given by the World Health Organization (WHO).

A recent report by World Health Organization has said that fairness creams and cosmetic products in India are potentially dangerous as they have serious side effects and can be fatal.

You might be thinking that how can topical creams effect the internal organs! If that's the question engaging your mind, then here's the answer given by Carolyn Vickers at Chemical Safety at World Health Organization.  She said there's a chemical called mercury in cosmetic key soaps and fairness creams. These chemicals would eventually enter the waste water and then enters the food chain, and finally blood.

Mercury present in cosmetics can cause anxiety, depression, nerve damage, renal failure, damage's skin resistance to infections, can cause seizures, numbness and even memory loss. One might usually find these names on the package—mercury, mercurious chloride, ammoniated mercury or mercury iodide.

So, say good bye to cosmetics and stick to herbal products, which are said to give better results than artificial cosmetics.

(Phani)