EcoWaste Coalition Tags 13 Skin Lightening Products Adulterated with Toxic Mercury
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| The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition supports the elimination of mercury-added products like skin whitening products to protect human health and the environment. |
The treaty bans the manufacture, import, and export of cosmetics such as skin lightening products containing mercury, a heavy metal with atomic number 80 and chemical symbol Hg from hydrargyrum (Latin for water-silver).
Mercury is added to some skin-lightening products to suppress the body’s production of melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color; however, it is a potent toxin that can damage the brain, kidneys, liver, and skin, while also causing hormonal, reproductive, and other health issues.
Despite international, regional, and domestic prohibitions, the manufacture and sale of mercury-laced cosmetics persist, endangering public health and ecological safety. This issue is evident in the Philippines, where imported facial whitening skin creams with mercury remain prevalent despite regulatory and enforcement efforts by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“To help the government, the FDA in particular, we’ve been monitoring the market since 2011 for mercury-contaminated skin lightening products, including many sold in e-commerce and social media platforms, exposing the dangerous products to alert regulators and consumers, as well as to challenge racist beauty standards and promote acceptance of natural skin color, to protect public health and the environment,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.
“As we begin the New Year, we urge those behind the production and trade of banned, dangerous cosmetics with mercury to halt this unethical and unlawful business that exploits vulnerable women who desire lighter skin,” she said. “We urge companies to end colorism in their marketing and stop profiting from skin whiteners containing mercury and other hazardous substances.”
"Simultaneously, we urge other agencies, specifically the customs bureau and the trade department, to provide their complete backing to the FDA’s ongoing efforts to enforce the laws prohibiting mercury-added cosmetics," she said.
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| The EcoWaste Coalition has called on companies to end the commercialization of colorism, and to stop the production and marketing of mercury-added skin lightening products. |
In 2025, the EcoWaste Coalition detected mercury ranging from 384 to 29,850 parts per million (ppm) in the following products obtained from online sellers, which the group reported to the FDA:
- From Indonesia (7 products): 99 New Special Whitening Cream Racikan & Vitamin E Asli; Asli Herbal SP Herbal Mint Day Night; L-Sky Glow; Meyung Cream Day & Night (white and yellow); Skin Light Whitening Cream; SP UV Special Ginseng Whitening Anti-Acne; and Temulawak Beauty Whitening Cream Day & Night.
- From Malaysia (1 product): Temulawak Night Cream Beauty Whitening Cream.
- From Thailand (2 products): Aura White Night Cream Intensive Whitening Facial Cream, and Meyyong Ra (Seaweed) Extra Whitening & Facelift.
- From Pakistan (3 products): Aneeza Gold Beauty Cream (reported to the FDA in 2024); Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene 4 in 1 Beauty Kit; and Goree Gold 24K Beauty Cream 3 in 1 Beauty Kit.
"Ten of the 13 mercury-added cosmetics that we reported to the FDA were subsequently flagged by the agency through separate advisories issued in 2025," Lucero said.
The EcoWaste Coalition published in January 2025 a longer list of 35 skin lightening products that the group procured and screened for mercury, including tainted facial creams from China (7 products), Indonesia (4 products), Pakistan (8 products), and Thailand (16 products), many of which were eventually banned by the FDA-Philippines and FDA-Thailand.
References:
https://www.fda.gov.ph/fda-advisory-no-2025-0811-public-health-warning-against-the-purchase-and-use-of-the-unauthorized-cosmetic-product-temulawak-beauty-whitening-cream-day-night/
https://www.fda.gov.ph/fda-advisory-no-2025-0814-public-health-warning-against-the-purchase-and-use-of-the-unauthorized-cosmetic-product-asli-herbal-sp-mint-day-night/
https://www.fda.gov.ph/fda-advisory-no-2025-0816-public-health-warning-against-the-purchase-and-use-of-the-unauthorized-cosmetic-product-l-sky-glow/
https://www.fda.gov.ph/fda-advisory-no-2025-0812-public-health-warning-against-the-purchase-and-use-of-the-unauthorized-cosmetic-product-meyung-cream-day-night-cream-white-yellow/
https://www.fda.gov.ph/fda-advisory-no-2025-0815-public-health-warning-against-the-purchase-and-use-of-the-unauthorized-cosmetic-product-skinlight-whitening-cream/
https://www.fda.gov.ph/fda-advisory-no-2025-0813-public-health-warning-against-the-purchase-and-use-of-the-unauthorized-cosmetic-product-uv-special-ginseng-sp-whitening-anti-acne/
https://www.fda.gov.ph/fda-advisory-no-2025-0811-public-health-warning-against-the-purchase-and-use-of-the-unauthorized-cosmetic-product-temulawak-beauty-whitening-cream-day-night/
Pakistan-Made Products Flagged by FDA:
https://www.fda.gov.ph/fda-advisory-no-2025-0501-public-health-warning-against-the-purchase-and-use-of-unauthorized-cosmetic-aneeza-gold-beauty-cream/
https://www.fda.gov.ph/fda-advisory-no-2025-1356-public-health-warning-against-the-purchase-and-use-of-the-unauthorized-cosmetic-product-goree-beauty-kit/
https://www.fda.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/FDA-Advisory-No.2025-1362.pdf
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