QUEZON CITY — The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition flagged the online sale of another skin lightening product from Pakistan that promises “instant skin glow for luminous and radiant complexion.” The group warned that the product contains mercury, a highly hazardous chemical banned in cosmetics as per the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
Purchased by the group through Shopee for P200, the newly-made Parley 24K Gold Gleam Beauty Cream produced on March 2, 2026, screened positive for mercury and arsenic at 939 and 55 parts per million (ppm), respectively, based on the X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) screening conducted. Arsenic and mercury are nowhere to be found in the product’s list of ingredients.
The product deceptively carries the Pakistan Standards Quality Mark, which is supposedly to indicate conformity to established standards, specifically Pakistan Standard Specification No. 3228:2025 on safety limits for cosmetics.
Incidentally, the product is among the six beauty creams whose licenses were recently suspended by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) for failing to “meet the required safety and quality specifications, with concerns linked to mercury, arsenic, and microbiological contamination,” as tested by the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR).
“We urge online consumers to be extra cautious when buying skin lightening products as some of them may contain mercury and other hazardous substances, which pose a real danger to users and to their families, as others can be exposed through contaminated items and vapors,” said Aileen Lucero, national coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition. “We demand that e-commerce and social media platforms take down illegal product listings for such dangerous products.“
“We hope the PSQCA-led crackdown on toxic beauty creams in Pakistan intensifies until the local manufacturing and global trade of these dangerous products are permanently halted,” she added.
Aside from Parley, the PSQCA also suspended the licenses of Goree Beauty Cream, Face Fresh Beauty Cream, and Golden Pearl Beauty Cream, which can be easily obtained in online or physical stores. On the occasion of World Health Day last April 7, the EcoWaste Coalition reported detecting high levels of mercury in these three products measured at 27,600 ppm, 20,510 ppm, and 17,580 ppm, respectively.
According to the Pakistani authorities, “these substances pose serious health risks and can lead to skin damage and other medical complications.”
Parley 24K Gold Gleam Beauty Cream, as stated on the label, has “added gold dust and natural anti-oxidants,” claiming it “not only brightens the skin tone, it also makes you feel younger and beautiful.”
Despite the health risks, the product claims it has “no side effects.” Consumers are even told they “can use it regularly for a long time to keep skin fair and lovely.”
The EcoWaste Coalition again reminded consumers not to be deceived by such claims and promises. Instead, the group called for the rejection of chemical whiteners and the acceptance of natural skin tone, noting there is beauty in all skin colors.
