Toxics Watchdog Group Alerts Parañaque, Las Piñas and Muntinlupa LGUs on Unlawful Mercury Cosmetic Trade in Their Cities
31 July 2024, Quezon City. The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition has notified three more local chief executives in the Southern Manila District about the persistent trade of dangerous skin lightening products with mercury in their cities.
The group yesterday emailed Parañaque City Mayor Eric Olivarez, Las Piñas City Mayor Mel Aguilar, and Muntinlupa City Mayor Ruffy Biazon to alert them about the unabashed sale of mercury cosmetics in their respective areas. A few weeks ago, the group also provided Mayor Lani Cayetano with a list of 20 beauty product shops and kiosks selling forbidden cosmetics with mercury in Taguig City. Some time ago, the group also reported to Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano the unchecked sale of mercury cosmetics in Pasay City.
Based on the market monitoring conducted by the group from July 21 to 27, at least 18 retail stores are engaged in the brazen trade of one or more skin lightening products banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for being adulterated with mercury and/or for being sold without the required certificates of product notification.
Eleven of these errant stores are located in Parañaque City, four in Las Piñas City and three are in Muntinlupa City.
Mercury, one of the 10 chemicals or groups of chemicals of major public health concern, is a prohibited ingredient in cosmetic products. Under the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive (ACD), the maximum limit for mercury as a heavy metal contaminant is one part per million (ppm).
Despite the unequivocal prohibition on mercury use in cosmetics under the ACD and the Minamata Convention of Mercury, mercury-containing skin lightening products sourced from overseas continue to flood the marketplace, including e-commerce sites.
Among the highly contaminated cosmetics being sold in some beauty product stores in Parañaque, Las Piñas and Muntinlupa are the FDA-banned Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene, Goree Day & Night Beauty Cream and Goree Gold 24K Beauty Cream from Pakistan; 88 Total White Underarm Cream from Thailand; and Collagen Plus Vit E Day & Night Cream from Indonesia, the EcoWaste Coalition reported.
During its monitoring work, the group also discovered a local distributor in Parañaque of Lady Gold Seaweed Gluta Super Gluta Brightening and other unauthorized Thai cosmetics. In 2022, the EcoWaste Coalition notified the FDA of the Philippines and Thailand that it detected 44,540 ppm of mercury in a similar Lady Gold product obtained from an online seller.
The use of 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.
To protect their constituents against mercury exposure, the EcoWaste Coalition requested the said LGUs to 1) conduct law enforcement activities, in coordination with the FDA, 2) enact an ordinance or issue an executive order banning and penalizing the manufacture, importation, distribution, and sale of mercury-containing cosmetics; and 3) promote a “Natural Is Beautiful” campaign to instill appreciation and acceptance of one’s natural skin color.
Like Tagbilaran City Mayor Jane Yap, the EcoWaste Coalition expressed high hopes that Mayors Olivarez, Aguilar, and Biazon, as well as Mayors Cayetano and Calixto-Rubiano, will take strong and urgent measures to rid Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Taguig and Pasay Cities of health- and environment-damaging cosmetics with mercury.
In response to the report filed by the EcoWaste Coalition, Mayor Yap issued a stern warning to stores selling FDA-banned cosmetics with mercury, stressing “this is unacceptable” and threatening violators with tough penalties and legal action. (PR)
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-CED-PHE-EPE-19.13
