Despite its being marketed as having “no side effects,” a certain imported skin-whitening product has high levels of mercury, a toxics watchdog group warned.
Deceptive and dangerous.
That was how toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition described an imported brand of skin whitening cream that allegedly contained high levels of mercury.
What’s alarming, according to the group, is that the product, which is allegedly being sold in the market despite a warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is being marketed as having “no side effects.”
Based on test buys conducted by Ecowaste from November 10 to 13, the products – Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene and Goree Day & Night Beauty Cream – are still on the market despite the FDA warning.
As per FDA Advisory 2017-289, Goree skin care products were tested and found to contain mercury above the one part per million (ppm), the limit set by the FDA following the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive, which also disallows mercury as an ingredient in cosmetic products.
The products, which were purchased by EcoWaste from stores selling beauty and herbal products in Pampanga, Batangas and Lucena City, were reportedly “made in Pakistan.”
The products are also being sold in online selling platforms, according to the group.
“The unchecked sale of banned Goree skin cosmetics necessitates a renewed government-led drive to halt their sale in all outlets, including in online shopping platforms,” Thony Dizon, EcoWaste’s Chemical Safety Campaigner, said.
“There is an apparent need to improve compliance monitoring and enforcement measures, including training customs inspectors and empowering local government units to effectively implement the ban on mercury in cosmetics,” he noted.
Contrary to the ‘no side effects’ claim, mercury in skin lightening products is hazardous to health as it can harm the brain, the central nervous system and the kidneys with direct and repeated exposure through the skin.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “adverse health effects of the inorganic mercury contained in skin lightening creams and soaps include: kidney damage, skin rashes, skin discoloration and scarring, reduction in the skin’s resistance to bacterial and fungal infections, anxiety, depression, psychosis and peripheral neuropathy.”
Tags: #toxics, #beautyproducts, #mercury, #EcoWasteCoalition