Cebuanos warned vs. dangerous cosmetics

CEBU CITY - Dangerous skin lightening products with mercury content are easily obtainable in Cebu despite the global phase-out of such cosmetics as stipulated in the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global agreement that seeks to protect human health and the environment from mercury emissions and releases.

The Ecowaste Coalition contaminated with high levels about this brazen threat to made this observation after of mercury, an extremely human health and the environment. purchasing seven banned toxic chemical forbidden in The LGUS, in mercury-containing facial cosmetic product formulations, particular, should go after creams for P80 to P300 in violation of national the errant peddlers of these each from cosmetic vendors and international laws,” said poison cosmetics and their in Cebu, Lapu-lapu and Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, suppliers. City ordinances Mandaue Cities recently. Ecowaste Coalition. banning mercury-added

“We have gathered “We will duly notify our cosmetics and public information fresh evidence showing the health product regulators drives promoting acceptance unchecked trade in Cebu and the concerned local of our natural skin of unauthorized cosmetics government units (LGUS) color should be pursued to fight colorism and mercury exposure via chemical skin whiteners,” she added.

Among the banned items purchased were Pakistan-made Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene and Goree Day & Night Beauty Cream, Thailand-made 88 Total White Underarm Cream, and China-made S’zitang 10-Day Eliminating Freckle Day & Night Set.

At 138 Wholesale Mall in Colon Street, at least seven stores defiantly sell the proscribed items, particularly Goree, in clear disregard of product safety regulations, the group observed. Stores selling these banned items were also spotted in Manalili, P. Lopez and Progreso Streets.

The collected items were then brought to the Ecowaste Coalition’s office in Quezon City for mercury screening using a portable X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, a device that can identify and quantity chemicals in a sample without sample preparation or destruction.

All the seven products badly failed the XRF mercury screening test. The four Goree samples were found contaminated with extremely high levels of mercury rangMRK JVSQ XS ppm. The two samples of 8SXEP ;LMXI LEH ERH

TTQ %RH XLI PSRI sample of S’zitang contained

TTQ HE] GVIEQ ERH TTQ RMKLX GVIEQ Aside from being banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) MR JSV PEGOMRK QEVOIX authorization and for containing mercury, Goree has also been tested and subsequently banned in Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, United Kingdom and the USA.

New Zealand, which banned the two variants of Goree in 2021, warned: “These products contain mercury, which is dangerous to your health, and on the lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes. It can also affect the development of unborn babies.”

FDA Advisory Nos. 2018-183 and 2015-025 cautioned the public against the purchase and use of S’zitang, which the agency tested and found to contain toxic mercury levels above 1 ppm.

In 2021, the FDA issued a public health warning on 88 Total White Underarm Cream through Advisory 2S WE]MRK MX LEW no valid Certificate of Product Notification (CPN) and the use of which “may pose health risks to consumers.” It is also banned in the USA, particularly in the state of Minnesota, for containing mercury. (Cebu Examiner)