Excessive mercury found in 13 skin whitening products: Study

Consumer watchdog for safe cosmetics based in Manila is urging Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban harmful skin whitening products sold in Philippines after 13 products tested positive for excessive levels of mercury.

Ecowaste Coalition said that the 13 of 14 skin whitening products purchased from stores in Manila and Makati Cities tested positive under an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer test and contained 550 parts per million to 60,800 ppm of mercury, exceeding the 1 ppm limit under the ASEAN Cosmetics Directive.

The group said that mercury in excessive amounts is dangerous as it causes poisoning, mutations and other health problems and also can adversely affect the development of the brain in children.

The watchdog added that the samples did not list mercury as an ingredient, and some were not even included in the list of 50 skin whitening products containing excessive levels of mercury that the FDA had banned in 2010-11.

EcoWaste Coalition’s ‘Project Protect’ spokesperson Aileen Lucero said that the group had notified the FDA about the illicit sale of these products that lure consumers with the promise of lighter complexion and removal of facial freckles, scars and spots.

"These products are dangerous and should not be sold to uninformed consumers," added Lucero.

Ecowaste has also sent a letter to FDA Officer-in-Charge Atty. Nicolas B. Lutero III urging it to issue a new advisory to ban skin whitening products containing mercury above the permissible limit.