EcoWaste Coalition Flags Toxic Mercury in 45th Pakistan-Made Skin Lightening Product Sold Online

The EcoWaste Coalition has detected high levels of mercury in Biocos skincare products that promise bright and youthful glow.

3 September 2026, Quezon City. The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition exposed yet another skin whitening products from Pakistan packed with dangerous levels of mercury, threatening the health of users and their families, especially children.

Biocos 5 in 1 Beauty Cream was found to contain mercury, contrary to the manufacturer's assurance that it "is free from toxic and substandard substances," as written on the product insert.

As part of its continuing advocacy to protect people’s health from hazardous chemicals, the EcoWaste Coalition ordered the skincare product from a local online seller for P399 and screened it for mercury.

Despite claims of being free of toxic substances, this facial cream contains 1.331 percent or 13,310 ppm of mercury.

According to the X-ray fluorescence (XRF) screening the group conducted, the facial cream contained 13,310 ppm of mercury.

The mercury-containing Biocos 5 in 1 Beauty Cream was manufactured in February 2026, in clear defiance of the Minamata Convention on Mercury decision that explicitly banned mercury use in cosmetics by 2025. Pakistan and the Philippines both ratified the treaty in 2020.

The banned chemical, known to inhibit the body’s production of melanin, was not detected in the other components of the “multi-action skin renewal formula,” such as glutathione capsule, kojic acid capsule, serum, and soap.

According to the online product description, Biocos 5 in 1 Beauty Cream offers an “all-inclusive solution for achieving radiant and youthful skin that deeply nourishes your skin, leaving it soft, supple, and rejuvenated,” adding that the cream can get rid of “dullness as it works to brighten your complexion.” Consumers are enticed to use the product and “discover the secret to radiant, healthy skin.”

Out of 45 mercury-tainted skin lighteners from Pakistan flagged by the EcoWaste Coalition so far, Biocos 5 in 1 Beauty Cream represents the 45th overall and the 4th specifically from the Biocos manufacturer after prior detections of mercury in three other variants, namely, Biocos Beauty Cream (with 3,969 ppm), Biogold Papaya Whitening Beauty Cream (14,880 ppm), and Biocos Beauty Cream with Emergency Whitening Serum & Soap (19,610 ppm).

The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition cautions consumers from buying and using this unauthorized skincare set, which includes a facial cream loaded with mercury.

Health authorities have warned that mercury in skin lightening products can cause chronic poisoning, resulting in serious health issues such as damage to the nervous and renal systems, skin discoloration, rashes and scarring, and reduced skin resistance to bacterial and fungal infections. Mercury in contaminated products enters the body through skin contact and inhalation of vapors during regular use.

Using mercury-containing skin-lightening products endangers not just the person applying them, but also everyone else living in shared spaces through secondary exposure to vapors and contaminated clothes, linens, pillows, and towels. Infants and toddlers face higher risks because they crawl on floors, handle household items, and frequently hug family members using adulterated skin lighteners.

Pregnant women using contaminated skin lighteners risk transferring mercury to the fetus, exposing babies to permanent neurological harm.

Moreover, mercury in tainted skin lightening products is released into wastewater when washed off or disposed of, contaminating the marine environment and the food supply.

To avoid mercury poisoning, the EcoWaste Coalition urged everyone to love their natural skin, challenge discriminatory beauty standards, and reject the wrong idea that fair skin equals beauty and success. It also urged parties to the Minamata Convention to enforce the global ban on mercury-added products, among other treaty obligations.

The EcoWaste Coalition has already notified the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about its latest toxic discovery.

References:

https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-CED-PHE-EPE-19.13
https://www.unep.org/globalmercurypartnership/resources/report/mercury-skin-lightening-products