Read the story in Bahasa Indonesia
When Nur Lenny Astia noticed her skin was "glowing" after just a few applications of a face cream her friends recommended, she was ecstatic.
But her joy eventually turned into horror when dark splotches started appearing on her face after applying the cream day and night for two years.
She stopped using the product, but it was too late.
The pigmentation was so pronounced that she didn't like going out in public, and she also started seeing a psychologist for her depression.
"[People's] gaze … [made] me uncomfortable. It made me overthink things," Ms Astia said.
"It got to the point where I didn't want to meet and interact with anyone."
When a dermatologist Ms Astia consulted in Indonesia in 2019 couldn't give her a clear answer on what caused her skin condition, she hoped it would eventually fade over time.
But it only grew more intense, so in 2021 she approached a second dermatologist who said the discolouration was likely caused by mercury or hydroquinone in the product she had used.
Skin-lightening creams containing mercury or hydroquinone may cause adverse health effects.
Beauty products with mercury are banned from sale in many countries around the world, while the use of hydroquinone is restricted or banned.
However, Ms Astia couldn't be sure what was in the "Esther M and S cream" she used because the packaging had no ingredients list.
It was only when Ms Astia came across a series of social media videos warning women against using the cream because it contained mercury that she felt her and her dermatologist's suspicion may be correct.
She also found out that the cream she had bought at a traditional market in East Kalimantan, which sold beauty products alongside fruits and vegetables, had been banned in Indonesia since 2011 after the Indonesian Food and Drug Authority found mercury in the product.
Despite the ban on the cream and other beauty products, authorities warned products with harmful substances were still being illegally imported by third parties into Indonesia and sold there.
The food and drug authority said it confiscated 205,400 banned products made by 69 brands in October and November.
Most were imported from China, but the authority also confiscated products from Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and India.
The ABC found online listings of an Esther M and S cream on several e-commerce websites, including Shopee — Indonesia's equivalent of Temu — and flagged them with the food and drug authority.
Several of the listings have now been taken down and Shopee was contacted for comment.
The ABC was unable to contact Esther M and S because it is unclear what company makes that product — even the food and drug authority doesn't know.
It is also unclear if the Esther M and S cream that was listed for sale on Shopee is the same product Ms Astia used more than a decade ago and whether it contains the same ingredients.
'Common but dangerous ingredient'
Ms Astia is now using TikTok to warn others about harmful ingredients such as mercury in beauty products.
She also encouraged her social media followers to "embrace" their skin colour.
"Whatever the colour, whether it's black, brown, white or yellow, accept it," she said.
Ms Astia's story was brought to the attention of social media influencer and medical doctor Maria Fransisca, who has 2.6 million TikTok followers.
Dr Fransisca has gained popularity for her educational videos on beauty products.
In some videos, she demonstrates how consumers can check for themselves if a product may contain mercury.
For example, it may have a pungent smell or have a sticky, shiny texture.
Dr Fransisca, who is now working together with Ms Astia to raise awareness, told the ABC that mercury in beauty products affected people differently.
This would explain why Ms Astia's friends and family, who used the same product, only experienced minor pigmentation.
According to the World Health Organization, mercury is "a common but dangerous ingredient" found in skin-lightening creams and soaps.
Mercury salts prevent the body from producing melanin — which results in lighter skin.
However, mercury in skin lighteners can be "hazardous to health" and cause skin rashes, discolouration and scarring, the WHO website says.
It can also cause peripheral neuropathy, depression, psychosis and kidney damage, it says.
The US Environmental Protection Agency's website said the severity of the symptoms from mercury exposure was dependent on factors such as exposure time and level.
'Check the product packaging'
Dr Fransisca said consumers in Indonesia should only use products that have been approved by the country's Food and Drug Authority.
"Check the product packaging, it should include information like the brand, benefits, and most importantly, the [Indonesian Food and Drug Authority] registration number," she said.
Dr Fransisca said beauty products could quickly become popular online, and consumers needed timely safety information from the authority.
"They need to be more responsive to public complaints. It takes a long time [for the authority] to report just one case," she said.
The authority's chairperson, Taruna Ikrar, rejected that claim and told the ABC the regulator responded within 24 hours when it received accurate, detailed reports of unsafe products.
Under Indonesian health legislation, manufacturers and distributors of substandard beauty products may face maximum penalties of 12 years in prison or fines of up to 5 billion Indonesian rupiah ($500,000).
Mr Ikrar said the authority had recently identified four cases, including two which resulted in orders to recall and destroy the products.
The other two are under further investigation.
He said authorities had blocked 12,293 links to online listings of banned beauty products in 2024.
But Mr Ikrar said policing the beauty industry in Indonesia was challenging due to the size of the market, staff limitations, and in some instances deceitful business practices, which were often "serious violations" of Indonesian laws.
"When they [business operators] submitted the product for registration, the label and its contents showed no traces of mercury," he said.
"However, [in some cases] after obtaining the registration number, they add mercury to the product."
In January, the authority held an event with 35 social media influencers in the hope that they would help spread awareness about harmful beauty products.
Australian consumers urged to take care
With the proliferation of e-commerce platforms, many of the brands banned by the Indonesian regulator are available to Australian consumers.
Michelle Wong, a Sydney-based science educator and beauty influencer, said people needed to do their due diligence when they bought beauty products online.
"I don't think people realise that the safety of products that you buy from Temu or Etsy aren't as regulated," Dr Wong said.
She said consumers should avoid buying "suspiciously" cheap products and shop from reputable stores registered in Australia.
"If there's things that don't seem right, things like misspelt words on the product, then it probably isn't very legitimate," she said.
A Temu spokesperson said the company took "product safety and compliance very seriously".
The ABC contacted Etsy for comment but did not receive a response.
Dr Wong said people should also monitor their skin when they use products for the first time, and see a doctor if they have a serious reaction.
For Ms Astia, speaking out about the dangers of using unregulated, banned products helped her regain self-confidence and rebuild her life.
As a single mother, Ms Astia said her children were her main motivation to keep fighting.
"I must show my children that I can be a good mother in my own way."
