MANILA, Philippines—“Small but terribly dangerous” for the skin.
This was how an environment watch group described Sunday a skin whitening product still sold in Chinese drugstores in Manila and on the Internet despite the fact that it had been banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
According to EcoWaste Coalition, it found high levels of the toxic chemical mercury in Erna Whitening Cream, which it bought from 10 drugstores in Divisoria, Quiapo and Sta. Cruz.
Based on the chemical screening conducted by the group, it detected mercury in all 12 samples of the product in amounts ranging from 2,948 parts per million (ppm) to 11,400 ppm, or an average of 6,847 ppm.
The product samples were bought from New World, Pan Pacific and Vita Green Chinese Drugstores in Divisoria; East Asia, Golden Dragon, Hong San and JDA Chinese Drugstores in Quiapo; and Beauty Essential, Faith Hope and New Era Chinese Drugstores in Sta. Cruz.
In November last year, the FDA warned against the sale of the whitening cream and 10 other cosmetic products after these were found to contain “dangerous levels” of mercury, far above the allowable limit of one ppm.
The whitening cream, which comes in small white plastic jars, is imported from Indonesia and Malaysia and sells for P60 to P80 each, EcoWaste noted.
“Aside from the product name printed in gold, no other information is provided on the product label,” the group said.
Online classified ads websites also sell the whitening product for as low as P10 to P18 depending on the quantity ordered.
“We abhor the unlawful sale of this small but terribly dangerous cosmetic in Chinese drugstores and on the Internet in blatant contempt of the government’s health warning and product ban,” EcoWaste national coordinator Aileen Lucero said.
She asked store owners and online dealers not to ignore the law, to desist from selling toxic products and to instead help authorities in stopping the illegal trade.
“We likewise ask buy-and-sell websites to remove entries advertising the prohibited product in line with their rules,” Lucero added.
The FDA explained that manufacturers and traders of these cosmetic products add mercury salts because the chemical inhibits the formation of skin melanin, resulting in a lighter skin tone.
However, high mercury levels may lead to adverse health effects, including kidney damage, skin rashes, skin discoloration and scarring.—With a report by Jeannette I. Andrade