Beware: UK Bans Toxic Beauty Cream Sold in PH
10 October 2024, Quezon City. As the Consumer Welfare Month is observed this October, the toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition reminded Filipinos aspiring for a lighter skin tone to shun Pakistan-made Golden Pearl Beauty Cream after British authorities announced its recall to protect consumers from mercury exposure.
Despite being banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2021 at the request of the EcoWaste Coalition, the said facial cream that claims to be “the best skin whitening cream formulation” can still be obtained from beauty product retailers.
“Prompted by UK’s regulatory action, we are again reminding consumers of this contraband cosmetic to discontinue using it to protect themselves and other household members, children in particular, from being exposed to mercury,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.
Last October 4, the UK Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) warned consumers that the said product poses “a serious chemical risk as it contains mercury, which is prohibited for use in cosmetics.”
“The product presents a serious chemical risk as when tested, the cream was found to contain 14,600 mg/kg (or 14,600 ppm) mercury,” the OPSS said. The product does not meet the requirements of Regulation 1223/2009 or the EU Cosmetic Products Regulation, and has been recalled by the distributor from end users.
Sold locally without due authorization from the FDA, Golden Pearl Beauty Cream further claims that it “is the only cream that clears pimples, wrinkles, marks, hives, even shadows under the eyes and turns your skin white.” It can “make you so much looking gorgeous that you won’t believe.”
While mercury is not listed among its ingredients, the EcoWaste Coalition detected 12,810 parts per million (ppm) of mercury on the Golden Pearl Beauty Cream it purchased from a retail store in Pasay City last April 2024. Under the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive, mercury as a heavy metal contaminant cannot exceed the maximum limit of one ppm.
“Women, who are the main target market of skin lightening products, are highly susceptible to the adverse effects of mercury exposure,” she said.
Among the side effects of using mercury-containing skin lightening products 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,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
“To avoid mercury exposure, we urge our women and others to steer clear of chemical whiteners and accept our natural skin tone,” said Lucero. “All colors are beautiful, and should be respected and not discriminated upon.”
The EcoWaste Coalition is campaigning for the strict enforcement of the ban on mercury in cosmetic products such as skin whiteners consistent with the requirements of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, ASEAN Cosmetic Directive and the country’s national laws such as the Food and Drug Administration Act and the Consumer Act of the Philippines.
The group last July 2024 proposed a solutions-focused summit involving various stakeholders to put a stop to the persistent trade of mercury cosmetics across the country.
References:
https://www.gov.uk/product-
https://www.fda.gov.ph/fda-
https://www.who.int/
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