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A class action lawsuit has been filed against Unilever by consumers who claim that they were injured when they used Pond’s anti-aging cream Rejuveness, as it is purported to contain high levels of mercury.
Plaintiff Janneth Pederson says she has used the Rejuveness product for seven years for its cosmetic purposes as recommended on the label.
She states that she had no reason to believe that the product was toxic or life-threatening.
Pederson owns a small business as a fitness instructor. Soon after using the anti-aging product, she allegedly began to see a general deterioration of her historically good health.
Her symptoms reportedly included headaches, memory loss, decreased energy, fatigue, and more. She allegedly sought medical treatment which included “extensive neurological testing” but provided no answers.
The Pond’s class action claims that after “many months and years of prolonged suffering,” she sent her container of Pond’s Rejuveness in for laboratory testing.
The lab allegedly found out that the product contained mercury and she was sent to the hospital for mercury poisoning treatment.
The hospital reportedly found out that her blood contained a concentration of 140 parts per million. The plaintiff says that a normal range of mercury in the bloodstream is zero and that 11 parts per million is considered toxic.
She continues by stating that there were no warnings on the container which would have told her of the levels of mercury in the product.
The Pond’s class action lawsuit states that the most dangerous type of mercury subjection is via vapor inhalation.
“The most prominent symptoms associated with vapor-induced mercury neurotoxicity include hand tremors, emotional lability and erethism, insomnia, neuromuscular changes, headaches, slowed sensory and motor nerve conduction velocities, memory loss, and cognitive function performance deficits,” the Pond’s class action lawsuit states.
The plaintiff claims that, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), those who manufacture cosmetics outside of the United States and the European Union commonly utilize mercury in cosmetics. They reportedly do so because they believe that it can serve as a skin lightening agent.
That said, the Pond’s class action lawsuit claims that the use of mercury in cosmetics like facial creams is illegal in the European Union and the United States except for the amount of one part per million.
Also, mercury can only be used in cosmetics if it is impossible to create the product without any mercury, the plaintiff alleges.
“International awareness of the common use of mercury in cosmetics is growing and countries have begun to sign treaties banning such practices,” the Pond’s class action lawsuit states.
In addition, the plaintiff says that most countries, including Mexico, do not have laws that ban the use of mercury in cosmetics and that the manufacturers are “exploiting” those populations.
The Pond’s class action lawsuit states that places in the United States that border Mexico have shown to have a disproportionately higher mercury poisoning rate than other parts of the United States.
The plaintiff maintains that Unilever knows of mercury’s uncertain use as a skin-bleaching agent and could “actively use this knowledge to intentionally exploit lax regulations in countries outside the United States through the use of mercury in products manufactured outside the United States.”
Have you used Pond’s Rejuveness anti-aging cream? Leave a message in the comments section below.
The plaintiff is represented by Arnold Shokouhi, Justin N. Bryan, Kristin M. Hecker, and Evan Selik of McCathern PLLC
The Pond’s Rejuveness Class Action Lawsuit is Janneth Pederson v. Unilever NV, et al., Case No. 5:20-cv-00020, in the U.S District Court for the Western District of Texas.
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866 thoughts onPond’s Class Action Says Cream Contains Mercury
Why is this product still being sold here? I bought some ponds rejuveness from a large retail chain 1 month ago, why am I only reading this now. The crazy part is this product is sold for half the price of its American counterpart and both items are still in stock.
I had been getting headaches using this cream. I did not know it contain Mercury. I had to Google this to see if it caused headaches. I only used the cream twice. I put a small dab on my finger on certain spots. I knew something was wrong with that product. I bought it from the dollar tree. Why are you still selling a product that has side effects? EPA tells you the thresh criteria is zero for Both low and high mercury. Once again why is this product still selling on shelves.~Former Analytical Chemist
I ordered Pond’s Rejuveness face cream in September 2022 and still have half a jar left which I will discard based on having read of this class action suit and the dangers of mercury, which I had been unaware of. When I received this jar although it had the Pond’s label and “Rejuveness” as well, all other text, including ingredients, was in, I assume, Spanish – example: “Rejuveness Piel mas Firme y Joven” Because of this I hesitated using it but since it seemed to be from Pond’s I let it go – my mistake.
I have used ponds rejuveness for face and try to avoid my eyes but some must have been absorbed close to eye area causing burning sensations under both eyes and burning on eyelids with visible blisters on each eye lid that itch and painful now I can not stop rubbing my eyes. I wear contacts so now I can not with out rubbing and tearing lenses. My eyelids just itch and I have no other allergens to be sensitive to only when I used this product
This is suddenly making sense to my family. My teenage girls have been using ponds and a couple of my daughters have been complaining of headaches and fatigue. Please add us to the list for justice!!!
I now have mercury poisoning from this cream and I bought it at family dollar in Philadelphia Pa so it isn’t illegal!! This is ridiculous include me
Include me please.
Oh no, I have purchased this numerous times. I have records of purchasing it on Amazon. This is terrible because I have glaucoma and try to be very careful of products affecting my vision.
Please add me, I have 4 jars that are very obviously counterfeit. I bought from a US online retailer. The products came from Mexico, there are so many signs that it is fake. It is still being sold online.. I can send photos. Please reply
Add me!
End up here after googling “ponds rejuveness burns”. I thought that I was allergic to it or my itching because of allergy from something; however, everytime I apply the cream on my face, I really have that burning itchy sensation. I am not happy with the product.
My girls also complained of burning skin!!! This is absurd!
Read Before USE
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 6, 2022
Verified Purchase
I have used Ponds most of my life and so has my family. I recently ordered a 14.1 oz jar of the “Nourishing Moisturizing Cream S” from ponds online, when I usually buy it a t a the store in the USA, but after the pandemic I got into the habit of ordering online (I guess like we all of us currently do) When I received my jar, I applied a bit on my face and put some on my arms of the “Nourishing Moisturizing Cream S”, a couple of hours later, I felt a discomfort in my arms and noticed redness as well as my face. To make the story short it actually burned the skin of my arms and the skin of my face. I still have it today , it has been 2 weeks . I totally failed to read where this jar was manufactured, it was not int he USA. I have taken pictures but it does not make justice of how bad it really looks .