Warning Out on Mercury-Contaminated Fairness Cream for Men

X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis is an effective way for measuring mercury adulteration in skin lightening products such as this tainted Arena Gold fairness cream for men.

23 March 2026, Quezon City. The EcoWaste Coalition has detected mercury at over 30,000 parts per million (ppm) in a Pakistan-made facial cream that promises “fairer skin in two weeks” and is supposedly “safe to apply day and night.”

The toxics watchdog group announced it has found high levels of mercury in Arena Gold New Fairness Cream for Men purchased online for P179, inclusive of shipping charges.

According to the group's X-ray fluorescence (XRF) screening, Arena Gold contains 30,130 ppm of mercury, in clear violation of the global ban on mercury in cosmetics under the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

Despite the explicit ban on mercury use in cosmetics, this fairness cream was analyzed to contain 3.013 % (or 30,130 ppm) of mercury.

According to the label, the product was manufactured on June 20, 2026, which conflicts with the original 2020 and the adjusted 2025 deadlines for phasing out the manufacture, import, and export of mercury-added products, including mercury-containing skin-lightening cosmetics.

Made in Pakistan, this violative skin lightening and anti-aging product describes itself as “a specialized skin formulated to match men's lifestyle, deeply cleanses the tough men's skin pores without leaving it dry.”

Like similar products marketed for women’s use, Arena Gold contains “whitening ingredients that will make you look fairer and brighter,” the label says.

Despite the presence of mercury in the product’s composition, mercury and other indicative terms for mercury are nowhere to be found in the list of ingredients.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), mercury is used in some skin lightening products “to block the production of melanin, leading to lighter skin tones,” listing “kidney and liver damage, neurological problems, and developmental issues in children” among the health effects.

Symptoms of mercury exposure may include tremors, mood swings, sleep disturbances, attention deficits, memory deterioration, impaired hearing and vision, changes in taste function, and renal failure.

The EcoWaste Coalition pushes for a mercury-free online marketplace to protect the people and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury contamination.

The EcoWaste Coalition also warned that mercury-laden skin-lightening products threaten everyone in the home, not just the person using them. Children are at the highest risk; they can inhale toxic vapors or absorb mercury through shared linens and towels and physical contact, such as hugs and kisses.

To avoid mercury poisoning, the EcoWaste Coalition urged consumers to:

• Embrace one’s natural skin color, and refrain from using skin bleaching, lightening, or whitening products,
• If the source of the product or its ingredients is unclear, do not buy or use;
• Reject products with improper labels and those with information you do not understand;
• Use only FDA-authorized cosmetic products;
• Go to https://verification.fda.gov.ph/ before adding to cart or making a purchase;
• Get authorized cosmetics from reputable retail shops;
• Shun banned or flagged cosmetics; and
• Stop further use of mercury-added cosmetics and see a doctor for medical evaluation and advice.

The group again asked e-commerce regulators and administrators of online shopping and social media platforms to remove listings for dangerous skin-lightening products containing mercury and other hazardous substances.