EcoWaste Coalition Exposes Illegal Trade of Dangerous Skin Whiteners with Mercury in CAMANAVA Cities
8 August 2024, Quezon City. As part of its unyielding campaign to get the ban on mercury-added cosmetics enforced to protect human health and the environment, the toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition went store hopping in the Northern Manila District to check if the unlawful trade of contaminated skin whiteners has ceased or not, particularly in the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela (CAMANAVA).
“Regretfully, the trade of banned skin lightening products contaminated with mercury in CAMANAVA has not stopped despite the public health warnings issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.
“The situation there is no different from what we have seen in other parts of Metro Manila where many beauty product shops and kiosks knowingly defy the ban on unauthorized skin lighteners, particularly those laced with mercury,” she said.
From July 31 to August 4, the EcoWaste Coalition documented the sale of FDA-warned Goree Beauty Cream (three variants) from Pakistan and 88 Total White Underarm Cream from Thailand in at least 29 retail stores: 15 in Caloocan City, six in Malabon City, three in Navotas City and five in Valenzuela City.
Some stores openly put the forbidden products on display, while others keep them under wraps, the group observed. “Just ask and it will be made available to you.”
“The sale of these dangerous cosmetics can be far and wide as some of the physical stores may also be selling online to increase their profits,” said Lucero.
“Aside from online shopping platforms, dealers of FDA-banned skin lighteners, particularly Goree, have been using Facebook and TikTok to win customers and drive sales in outright disregard of community guidelines and, most importantly, public health and safety,” she noted.
The ASEAN Cosmetic Directive stipulates that mercury and its compounds must not form part of the composition of cosmetic products and sets a maximum limit of one part per million (ppm) for mercury as a heavy metal contaminant in cosmetics.
While the Minamata Convention on Mercury has been amended to explicitly ban the manufacture, import, and export of mercury-added cosmetics, contraband cosmetics continue to proliferate in the marketplace, including in online shopping platforms.
Using mercury-added skin lightening products can lead to blotching, rashes, and uneven skin color. Repeated applications may damage the renal, digestive, nervous, immune, and visual systems. Even non-users like young children may also get exposed to mercury through skin-to-skin contact, inhalation of toxic vapors, and the use of contaminated household items like blankets, pillows, and towels.
The EcoWaste Coalition will contact the mayors of CAMANAVA Cities to encourage them to conduct the necessary public information and law enforcement activities.
The group notified the FDA through the Center for Cosmetics and Household/Urban Hazardous Substances Regulation and Research (CCHUHSRR) about its latest monitoring findings. (PR)
Reference:
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-CED-PHE-EPE-19.13
