Civil Society Groups Find Mercury-Laced Skin Whiteners in 61 Cavite Stores

Civil society groups have flagged 61 beauty stores and kiosks across Cavite province for selling mercury-containing skin-lightening products banned under international and regional cosmetic safety standards, a province-wide investigation revealed.

The joint monitoring, conducted from February 27 to March 6 by the EcoWaste Coalition (EWC), Cavite Green Coalition (CGC), and the Diocese of Imus Ministry on Ecology (DIMEC), covered beauty product vendors in eight cities and 15 municipalities — 20 of Cavite’s 23 local government units (LGUs). Online home-based sellers were not included in the scope.

The investigation was timed with the observance of National Women’s Month and focused on products marketed to women seeking lighter or blemish-free skin.

All flagged retailers were found selling cosmetics that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had flagged for mercury adulteration and/or lack of market authorization, in violation of the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive (ACD) and the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

Hotspots and Products

The LGUs with the highest concentration of non-compliant retailers were Bacoor City (7), Tanza (6), Imus City (5), Rosario (5), Silang (5), and Tagaytay City (5). Dasmariñas City, General Trias City, and Trece Martires City each had four errant sellers, while Cavite City and Indang recorded three each, and Naic had two. At least one non-compliant store was found in Alfonso, Amadeo, Carmona City, General Mariano Alvarez, Magallanes, Maragondon, Noveleta, and Ternate. Retailers visited in General Aguinaldo, Kawit, and Mendez carried none of the flagged products at the time of the inspection.

The most commonly sold banned products were Pakistan-made Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene, Goree Day and Night Beauty Cream, Goree Gold 24K Beauty Cream, the Goree 4-in-1 Beauty Kit, and the Goree Gold 24K 3-in-1 Beauty Kit, along with Thailand-made 88 Total White Underarm Cream. A smaller number of stores carried banned China-made Jiaoli and S’Zitang products, as well as Indonesia-made Collagen Plus Vit E Day and Night Cream.

Mercury Levels

Using an Olympus Vanta M Series X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, the groups tested products purchased from Cavite retailers and recorded the following mercury concentrations: Goree Gold 24K Beauty Cream at 34,520 parts per million (ppm), Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene at 28,620 ppm, Goree Day & Night Beauty Cream at 27,490 ppm, 88 Total White Underarm Cream at 2,194 ppm, and S’Zitang 10-Day Whitening & Spot Day-Night Set at 336 ppm (day cream) and 514 ppm (night cream). No mercury was detected in the Jiaoli Miraculous Cream sample tested.

Health Risks

Health advocates warned that mercury in cosmetics poses serious risks beyond skin irritation such as rashes, scarring, and discoloration. Prolonged exposure leads to accumulation of mercury in the body, causing damage to the kidneys and nervous system. The substance enters the body primarily through skin absorption and inhalation of vapors during application, and can also expose household members — including children — through contaminated clothing, towels, and bedding.

Pregnant women face heightened risks, as mercury can cross the placental barrier and has been linked to miscarriage, stillbirth, and premature delivery, as well as permanent damage to fetal brain development that may result in learning disabilities, lower IQ, and impaired motor skills. Nursing mothers may also transmit mercury to infants through breast milk, though health advocates noted that breastfeeding remains the recommended feeding practice despite this risk.

Recommendations

The EWC and CGC have formally notified the mayors of the 20 affected LGUs, the provincial governor, and the FDA of their findings, along with recommendations to curb the illegal trade. These include adopting stronger regulatory measures at the local level and launching public awareness campaigns promoting natural skin tones and discouraging the use of chemical whiteners with mercury or other hazardous substances.

Cavite is considered the most populous province in the Philippines, with approximately five million residents. —With reports from EcoWaste Coalition