Public warned vs mercury-laced beauty creams

An environment and health watchdog on Monday warned the public against purchasing unauthorized beauty creams, which were found to contain high levels of mercury. These products, were purchased from a retailer inside a mall in Pasay City, and were imported from Pakistan, the Ecowaste Coalition said . Using an X-ray fluorescence analyzer, the group found high concentrations of mercury in the products, with one reaching 16,915 parts per million (ppm). Under the Asean Cosmetic Directive and the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the limit of mercury in products should only be 1 ppm. These products were sold under the brands Parley Goldie Advanced Beauty Cream, AQME, Golden Pearl, Safora Beauty and Morning Face.

—Jhesset O. Enano