(Online shopping sites pressed to promptly delete listings for unsafe products)
18 September 2026, Quezon City. The EcoWaste Coalition urged Filipinos, particularly women seeking to lighten their complexion, to exercise extreme caution before using unauthorized cosmetics that could secretly contain harmful mercury additives.
Following the release of multiple advisories by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the toxics watchdog group again reminded consumers to reject unauthorized skin lighteners, such as those made in Pakistan, which are being sold without mandatory certificates of product notification.
“We thanked the FDA for not failing to warn consumers about the dangers of consuming unapproved skin lightening products, which can pose serious health risks to users and their families,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition. “E-commerce platforms must promptly remove unlawful listings for these dangerous cosmetics to protect public health.”
From February 10 to September 8, 2026, the group monitored 11 advisories targeting Pakistan-made cosmetics, warning the public about the serious health risks of consuming unauthorized lightening products that have not been evaluated for quality and safety as required before sale.
Among the flagged products were Arena Gold Beauty Cream, Chandni Day & Night Whitening Cream, Due Beauty Cream, Face Fresh Beauty Cream, Golden Pearl Beauty Cream with Gluta Serum, Golden Pearl Ultra Glam Beauty Cream, Navia Gluta Bright Beauty Cream, Parley 24K Gold Gleam Beauty Cream, Tibet Snow, Yaz Beauty Cream Double White + Vitamin C, and Yaz Gold Beauty Cream Active White + 24K Gold Dust.
As reported by the EcoWaste Coalition to the FDA, these skin lightening products are laden with outrageous levels of mercury in excess of one part per million (ppm), the maximum limit for mercury as a heavy metal contaminant in cosmetics under the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive.
Using an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, the group detected mercury levels ranging from 75 to 33,970 ppm in the 11 products, with 10 products containing mercury above 10,000 ppm. Yaz Beauty Cream Double White + Vitamin C contained 33,970 ppm, while Arena Gold Beauty Cream had 31,370 ppm.
Six of the 11 products carried the Pakistan Standard Quality Mark despite containing mercury in violation of Standard PS: 3228-2017, which sets a 1 ppm limit for mercury in cosmetics, the EcoWaste Coalition noted.
As the products were obtained from online sellers, the EcoWaste Coalition again showed that digital platforms are freely used to market, distribute, and sell toxic cosmetics containing mercury.
“For the nth time, we appeal to all digital platforms and government regulators to enforce the Internet Transactions Act and protect consumers from the fraudulent sale of banned mercury-added skin lightening products,” said Lucero.
The Internet Transactions Act (RA 11967) aims to regulate e-commerce to protect consumer rights, including ensuring compliance with product standards and safety, while the Minamata Convention on Mercury bans the manufacture, import, and export of cosmetics containing mercury.**
