Determination of Chemical Composition of Whitening Soap in a Port Harcourt Market

This study investigates the chemical composition of whitening soaps available in Port Harcourt, focusing on the concentration of potentially harmful agents: mercury, hydroquinone, and steroids. Samples from three popular brands of Whitening soap (Kojie-San, Carotone, and Glutac + Kojic) were obtained from Mile 3 Market, and analyzed for their concentrations of mercury, hydroquinone, and steroids. Using methods such as spectrophotometric analysis and acid digestion, the concentrations of Hydroquinone (Kojie-San = 32.532μg/g, Carotone =-16.213μg/g, Glutac + Kojic = 26.231μg/g), Steroids (Kojie-san = 0.936%, Carotone-0.933%, Glutac + Kojic = 0.030%) and Mercury (Kojie-San = 9.531ppm, Carotone = 4.341ppm, Glutac + Kojic = 2.461ppm) were determined, with a bar chart used to visually compare results. The findings revealed that all samples contained mercury, hydroquinone, and steroid levels that exceed the safety thresholds set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other regulatory agencies. Sample A (Kojie-San) had the highest concentrations of mercury (9.531 ppm) and hydroquinone (32.532 μg/g), while Sample C (Glutac + Kojic) presented the highest levels of steroids. These levels exceed the recommended limits of 1 ppm for mercury and 2% for hydroquinone by World Health Organization (WHO) and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)