FDA Bans Skin Whitening Products Due to Mercury Content

The Food and Drug Administration has banned fifty skin whitening products found to have excessive mercury content. The FDA has likewise advised all its offices to confiscate the skin whitening products in question reportedly being sold in Chinese drug stores and cosmetic shops in Manila and other parts of the country.

Excessive amounts of mercury is detrimental to people’s health. Studies have shown that mercury can affect the nervous system, kidneys, and other vital organs. The allowable limit for mercury in cosmetics in the Philippines is 1 ppm, or 1 part per million. However, some of the skin whitening products tested were found to contain thousands of time more mercury than the allowable limit.

Toxic watchdog, Ecowaste Coalition, found that 11 of the 12 whitening products it tested had mercury levels of up to 28,600 parts per million (ppm), which is over and above the Philippine regulatory limit of 1 ppm for mercury in cosmetics. Further, according to Ecowaste, the tainted products are likewise in violation of the tolerable limit of 1 ppm under the “Hygienic Standards for Cosmetics” of the People’s Republic of China.

None of the products tested list mercury as an ingredient. The public is therefore warned to be wary of these relatively cheap Chinese-made skin whitening products.

The FDA said that the following products “pose imminent danger or injury to the consuming public and the importation, selling, or offering for sale of such is in direct violation of Republic Act No. 9711 or the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009.”

Jiaoli Miraculous Cream
Jiaoli Huichusu Special Cut Genuine Cream
Jiaoli 2+1 7 days Clearing Facial Spots Suit
Jiaoli Huichusu Whitening Speckless Removal Cream
Xin Jiao Li 7-Days Specific Eliminating Freckle Cream
Jiaoli 10-Days Eliminating Fredkle Day
Jiaoli 7-Days Eliminating Fredkle AB Set
Jiao Liang Miraculous Cream
Xin Jiao Liang 7-Days Miracle Package for Spots Refining
Jiao Mei Miraculous Cream
Jiao Yan Specific Miraculous Cream
Jiao Li 10-Days Eliminating Freckle Day
Beauty Girl Double White Collagen Elastin Whitening Night Cream/Double White SPF17AP++ Whitening Day Cream
Yinni Green Tea Quick Acting Whitener & Speckle Remover Package (Yellow & White Cream)
Glutathione Grapeseed Extract Whitening & Anti-Aging
Doctor Bai Skin Revitalizing Skin Brightening (Doctor Bai Intensive White Revitalizing & Speckle Removing Set)
Young Age Defying Essence
Gemli Glutathione Hydrolyzed Collagen Whitening & Anti-Aging
Qiang Li Zeng Bai Qu Ban Wang Whitening Cream
Shengli Day & Night Cream
S’Zitang Cream
BIB Day Cream Whitening Cream—921
St. Dalfour Beauty Whitening Cream
Beauty Girl Papaya & Hawthorn Essence (10 Double Whitening Speckles Removed Essence)
Beauty Girl Ginseng & Green Cucumber (10 Double Whitening Speckles Removed
Beauty Girl Essence Aloe Pearl (10 Double Whitening Speckle Removed Essence)
Beauty Girl Olive & Sheep Essence (10 Double Whitening Speckles Removed Essence)
BIB Nigh Cream Whitening Cream—922
Pretty Model Whitening & Freckle Removing (Day Cream & Night Cream-Set)
Pretty Girl 10 Day Special Cream
Pretty Girl Green Cucumber & Ginseng Cream
Liliki Whitening Day Cream—912
Lilliki Whitening Night Cream—912
New Miss Beauty Magic Cream
Jiaoli Rejuvenation Essence 10 Days Speckle Removing
Jiaoli Liang 7 Days Eliminating Fredkle AB Set
Jiaoli Liang 10 Days Eliminating Fredkle AB Set
Beauty Girl 6 Days Specific Eliminating Fredkle Whitening Cream Egg White & Tomato 3 in1
Beautiful Dream Whitening Anti-Speckle and Anti-Acne Kit
Miss Beauty Magic Cream
Miss Beauty Excellent Therapy Whitening Cream
Daggett and Ramsdell Underarm Lightening Cream
Lanmeirou 12 Days Whiten & Speckle Removing Suit
Berglotus Spot Removing Series
Yoko Gentleman Cream for Men
Jonathan Clearing Facial Spots 12 Day Cream
The Flower Woman 7-Day Whitening and Spot and Night Set Cream
Sara Glutathione Sheep Placenta Whitening and Anti-Spot Cream
Aichum Beauty Green Tea Whitening Speckle Removing Series Cream
Aichum Beauty Whitening Freckle Day and Night Cream

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