Quezon City. The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition has again cautioned the general public, especially those aspiring for a lighter skin tone, from consuming mercury-added cosmetics that have been flagged by the health authorities in at least 4 ASEAN member states, particularly Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar and the Philippines. Mercury is a highly toxic chemical added to some skin whitening products to suppress the body’s production of melanin making the skin appear lighter.
Because of its harmful effects, mercury use in cosmetics has been banned under the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive and the Minamata Convention on Mercury. For its latest market investigation, the EcoWaste Coalition managed to buy Collagen Plus Vit E Day & Night Cream (costing P75/set) and Temulawak Day & Night Cream (costing P65/set) from an online seller based in Zamboanga City. The group criticized the continued importation of the above products, which are suspected of being smuggled from Indonesia and/or Malaysia and unlawfully sold in some online and physical cosmetic stores across the country.
As stamped on its packaging, the Collagen Plus Vit E Day & Night Cream was manufactured in 2024, way past the 2020 global phase-out deadline on the manufacture, export and import of mercury-added cosmetics, and will expire in 2028. The Temulawak product indicated no production and expiration dates. As indicated on their labels, Collagen Plus Vit E Day & Night Cream “instantly hydrates and provides new energy to.