Toxic watchdog finds banned skin-lightening products in Mindanao

A toxic watchdog has alerted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after discovering banned mercury-containing skin-lightening products being openly sold in beauty shops across several major cities in Mindanao.

BAN Toxics said it purchased the products during market monitoring activities conducted in Surigao City, Butuan City, and Davao City from 10 to 13 June.

Among the products tested were Pakistan-made Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene Avocado & Aloe Vera, Goree Day & Night Beauty Cream Oil Free Total Fairness System, Goree Gold 24K Beauty Cream, and Thailand-made 88 Total White Underarm Cream. The products were sold for P175 to P350 in seven stores across the three cities.

The group noted that the FDA had previously issued advisories stating that the products lack valid Certificates of Product Notification.

"The unauthorized cosmetic products have not gone through the notification process of the FDA; the agency cannot assure their quality and safety. The use of such violative products may pose health risks to consumers," the FDA said in its advisory.

Using a Vanta C Series Handheld XRF Analyzer, BAN Toxics detected mercury concentrations of up to 50,600 parts per million (ppm), far exceeding the one ppm limit set under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Chemical Control Order for mercury, the Minamata Convention on Mercury, and the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive.

"The widespread sale of prohibited mercury-containing skin-lightening products not just in Metro Manila but in Mindanao as well is dangerous to the health and safety of the public, especially women and children," said Thony Dizon, advocacy and campaign officer of BAN Toxics.

"It violates existing regulations on mercury in the country and our right to safe and toxic-free products," he added.

The World Health Organization has warned that mercury exposure can cause severe neurological, reproductive, and developmental damage, particularly among pregnant women and developing fetuses. It has also been linked to infertility, birth defects, developmental delays, tremors, memory loss, depression, and numbness.

BAN Toxics cited a 2025 report by the Zero Mercury Working Group titled "Zero Out Toxic Production," which tested 37 samples of six widely available Pakistan-made skin-lightening brands. Laboratory analysis found that 35 samples contained mercury levels thousands of times above the legal limit, with one product registering as high as 24,000 ppm.

Dizon said the continued illegal trade of mercury-added skin-lightening products highlights the need for stronger regulatory enforcement and international cooperation.

"We call on both the FDA and the DTI to expedite their regulatory and enforcement functions to prevent the further sale and use of prohibited skin-lightening products, ensure consumer protection, and prevent exposure to toxic mercury," he said.