Safety alerts · 5 min read
CDSCO Cosmetic Alerts: Goree & Chandni Creams Flagged Over Heavy Metals
CDSCO flagged Goree Beauty Cream and Chandni Whitening Cream on 8 September 2026: unregistered imports found to contain excessive heavy metals.
On 8 September 2026, the Cosmetics Division of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) issued a public health alert against two products sold in India: Goree Beauty Cream and Chandni Whitening Cream, both labelled "Made in Pakistan". This page summarises what the notice says, and what to do if you have either product.
What CDSCO's notice says
- Both products are unauthorised imports: neither has the import registration certificate required under India's cosmetics rules.
- Testing found heavy metals above the permitted limits. CDSCO's notice does not specify which metal or the exact concentration.
- CDSCO has asked consumers not to buy or use either product, and not to use similar products sold under the same names, since counterfeits and repackaged stock also circulate.
- State and Union Territory drug controllers have been asked to stop the sale of both products in their jurisdictions.
This alert followed a related notice on 3 September 2026, in which CDSCO cancelled import registration certificates held by another distributor for unregistered cosmetics sold through e-commerce, and separate news reports of a stock of Pakistan-made whitening creams seized by police in Maharashtra in late September, which the state's Food and Drug Administration then found to contain mercury above the legal limit.
If you have used either product
Heavy-metal-contaminated skin creams have been linked in case reports to skin irritation, and in some cases to more serious effects including on the kidneys, though this depends heavily on the concentration and how long a product was used. We are not able to assess your individual situation. If you have used Goree Beauty Cream, Chandni Whitening Cream, or any unregistered imported "whitening" or "fairness" cream and have symptoms such as unusual skin irritation, swelling, or anything else that concerns you, stop use and see a doctor, and mention the product by name.
How to check any cosmetic before you buy it
CDSCO's notices point to the same underlying problem: products entering India without the registration the law requires. A few checks help, though none of them can substitute for buying from an authorised retailer:
- Look for a manufacturer or importer address and a batch/lot number on the pack. Products with only a brand name and no traceable address are a red flag.
- Check the batch code to see whether the manufacturing date and packaging are consistent with what the seller claims. Our batch code checker decodes the formats used by several major brands.
- Be wary of "instant" or dramatic whitening claims. Legitimate brightening actives such as niacinamide, alpha arbutin, tranexamic acid or vitamin C work gradually over weeks, not overnight. See our guide to pigmentation ingredients for options with actual evidence behind them.
- Buy from the brand's own site or an authorised retailer, not from unfamiliar third-party sellers or social media shops, especially for imported products.
There is currently no independent public database consumers can search to verify a cosmetic's import registration number in real time; CDSCO publishes its alerts and notices on its own website, and we link to the official notice below.
Frequently asked questions
Is Goree Beauty Cream banned in India?
CDSCO's notice describes it as unauthorised (not holding the required import registration) and warns consumers against buying or using it. That is a regulatory alert rather than a criminal ban on possession, but selling it without registration is unlawful.
How do I know if a face cream has mercury?
You cannot reliably tell by looking, smelling or using an at-home "test" — none of those are validated methods. The only reliable way is laboratory testing. If a product has no registration details, makes exaggerated whitening claims, or was flagged by a regulator, the safest step is to stop using it and see a doctor if you have any symptoms.
Where can I read the official CDSCO notice?
We link to it in the sources below. CDSCO also publishes ongoing alerts on its own website.
Sources: CDSCO public notice, Cosmetics Division, 8 September 2026 (via Medical Dialogues); The Week, 15 September 2026; reported Maharashtra FDA testing via Boldsky, 25 September 2026. This is a summary of third-party reporting for consumer awareness, not independent lab testing by Beauty Elixir.