A toxics watch group has deplored the over-the-counter sale of banned mercury-laden skin whitening cosmetics by some retail outlets in Cubao, Quezon City.
The EcoWaste Coalition chanced upon the illegal sale in Cubao of dangerous Jiaoli and S’Zitang skin whitening products from China, an act that is forbidden under Quezon City Ordinance No. 2767.
Photos taken by the group showed Jiaoli and S’Zitang products on display in at least three stores operating inside Shopwise-Cubao. The unnamed stores sell beauty and herbal products.
Jiaoli and S’Zitang are among the skin whitening products banned by the Food and Drug Administration due to their mercury content, which “pose imminent danger or injury to the consuming public,” according to the agency.
The continuing sale of banned mercury-laden skin whitening cosmetics in Cubao should prompt the city government into conducting effective public information and law enforcement activities starting January 2019 to meet the objectives of City Ordinance 2767, the EcoWaste Coalition pointed out.
Mercury is a highly toxic chemical with no known level of exposure that is considered safe.
EcoWaste said fetuses, babies, children, and pregnant women are most vulnerable to the health effects of mercury.
According to the World Health Organization and the United Nations Environment, “mercury use in cosmetic products can have adverse effects including skin rashes, discoloring, and scarring, reduce skin’s resistance to bacterial and mycotic disorders, and cause damage to the brain, nervous system and kidneys.”