EcoWaste warns public vs mercury-laced skin whiteners

MANILA, Philippines — Environmental watchdog EcoWaste Coalition yesterday warned the public against mercury-containing skin whitening products being sold in two shopping malls in Pasay.

EcoWaste chemical safety campaigner Thony Dizon said their team’s spot check last Friday showed that imported skin whitening facial creams banned by health authorities for containing mercury have resurfaced at the Baclaran LRT Terminal Plaza and Baclaran Bagong Milenyo Plaza.

“The reemergence of these banned chemical skin whiteners justifies the need for unrelenting law enforcement action to implement the global and national ban on mercury-laden cosmetics such as skin lightening and anti-aging creams,” Dizon said. “Countries must stop the manufacture and export of these cosmetics.”

Dizon also called on authorities to “rid the market of contraband cosmetics, especially those tainted with mercury and other hazardous chemicals.”

He said the Pasay government, through the office of the city health officer, had ordered the shopping malls to remove all banned products from display and refrain from selling these following a complaint filed by the EcoWaste in September last year.

Dizon said their market surveillance and spot check showed that the banned skin products were still on display in shelves inside the two establishments.

Among the banned skin whiteners found being sold over the counter were Goree Beauty Cream, Goree Day & Night Cream and Parley Beauty Cream, all manufactured in Pakistan as indicated on their labels.

The EcoWaste said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned Goree and Parley products on Oct. 30, 2017 and March 5, 2019, respectively. The products contained mercury beyond the one part per million (ppm) limit.

The group also found on sale the Collagen Plus Vit E Day & Night Cream reportedly smuggled from Indonesia. The FDA banned this cosmetic for lacking a valid Certificate of Product Notification.

The FDA said the use of violative products may pose health risks to consumers.

“We also found other mercury-laden facial creams still on sale in Pasay despite the reports we have filed with the FDA regarding their mercury content,” Dizon said.

Among the other unauthorized cosmetics found being sold in the shopping malls were AQME Beauty Cream, Golden Pearl Beauty Cream, Morning Face Beauty Cream, Parley Goldie Advanced Beauty Cream and Safora Beauty Cream.

The EcoWaste said its previous analyses using an X-ray fluorescence device found that these products have high concentrations of mercury ranging from 5,696 to 16,915 ppm.

The World Health Organization has listed mercury as among the 10 “chemicals of major public health concern.”

According to the WHO, mercury use in skin lightening products can cause adverse health effects, including skin rashes, discoloration and scarring and may reduce skin’s resistance to bacterial and mycotic disorders.

Repeated applications of mercury-laden whiteners onto the skin can also cause damage to the kidneys, brain and the central nervous system, the WHO said.