QEZON CITY — Ahead of the special day honoring mothers and mother figures, the EcoWaste Coalition criticized those behind the illegal production and propagation of skin care cosmetics laced with mercury, which can put the health of women and their families at grave risk.
“As Mother’s Day is celebrated, we call out defiant manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers, including online sellers and content creators, who continue to flout the global ban on mercury-added products that are marketed to lighten the skin tone, remove age spots, blemishes, freckles, and wrinkles, and achieve youthful, glowing skin,” said Aileen Lucero, national coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition. “These cosmetics pose mercury exposure risks to women and their families, children in particular, who may also be harmed through contaminated air and articles.”
Despite the global ban under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, as well as the regional ban under the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive, the illegal production and trade of such perilous products continues with impunity, the group pointed out.
To highlight the unrelenting threat posed by such cosmetics, the EcoWaste Coalition announced its discovery of another mercury-contaminated product imported from Pakistan: Biocos Beauty Cream with Emergency Whitening Serum and Soap, which is sold locally.
The group obtained the “new 3-in1 formula pack” manufactured in February 2025 from a local online seller for P248 per set.
Despite the product insert’s claim that Biocos Beauty Cream is “free from toxic and substandard substances,” chemical screening by the EcoWaste Coalition showed dangerous amounts of mercury.
According to the X-Ray-Fluorescence (XRF) screening result, the product contains 19,610 parts per million (ppm) of mercury!
“Using just one pack of Biocos Beauty Cream can lighten and protect your skin,” the packaging says, claiming further, “it is a small price to pay for the health of your skin.”
“Nothing could be further from the truth,” exclaimed Lucero.
Health authorities, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the World Health Organization (WHO), have long recognized the adverse impacts of mercury-contaminated cosmetics, such as rashes, scarring, and uneven skin color, reduced skin resistance to bacterial and fungal infections, and damage to the kidneys, brain, and nervous system, among other health problems.
Pregnant women using tainted cosmetics may unknowingly poison babies in their wombs, as mercury is known to cross the placenta and accumulate in fetal tissues, causing permanent neurological damage in children.
Moreover, mercury in tainted skin lightening products is released into the wastewater when washed off or disposed of, contaminating the marine environment and the food supply.
Through its ongoing market surveillance across digital and physical storefronts, the EcoWaste Coalition has identified 36 Pakistan-made beauty creams containing mercury. Driven by its vision for a zero waste and toxics-free society, the group has also consistently exposed mercury-laced skin lightening products from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Thailand.
