A face cream popular with online shoppers was found to be bottled in an abandoned public toilet facility, after testing showed that it contained shockingly high mercury levels, according to mainland Chinese authorities.

Authorities in the city of Linhai in Zhejiang province confiscated over 100,000 products worth 30 million yuan (US$4.6 million) and carried out testing that showed the products’ mercury levels to be 7,000 times higher than the legal limit.

The products are part of a cosmetics line that’s gained popularity online. Some items from the line are still available for purchase for around 50 yuan per bottle and are marked to be “suitable for pregnant women.”

Zhejiang authorities are working with the police in Guangzhou and Harbin to track down the production source.

According to mainland Chinese media reports, a woman reported the company to the State Administration for Market Regulation after one of its creams caused her face to become red and swollen and her skin to start peeling. Authorities tested the product and found that it contained unusually high mercury levels.

The cosmetics company is owned by a couple who became millionaires from selling the popular face creams. The two divorced but continued to run the high-profit business together. Since 2014, the couple have sold approximately 700,000 jars of products.

A raid last November uncovered the public toilet where the face creams were bottled. The location smelled foul and was overrun with dirt and insects. The police arrested over 10 people and are seeking to arrest two more who are currently stuck in Canada due to COVID-19.

Linhai’s State Administration for Market Regulation warned the public to stop using the company’s products due to their high mercury content. Using it in the short term could whiten the skin, but long-term use could cause dermatitis or even skin cancer. It can also cause liver and kidney damage. Pregnant women who use the products could also endanger their unborn babies.

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