Be Wary of Skin Whitening Products

What do you know about your skin whitening product? Can it really whiten or lighten your skin?  Can it really remove age spots, wrinkles and blemishes? Can it cure or solve your acne problems?

Well, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed today through news releases the presence of high levels of mercury in 14 skin whitening products sold in the Philippines. The products were submitted to the FDA for confirmatory test by Ecowaste Coalition, which first conducted a test last June and found them to have excessive mercury content.

 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in US, mercury is highly toxic and exposure at high levels can cause damage to the brain and kidneys.


"Exposure to mercury can have serious health consequences,"says Dr, Charles Lee, a senior medical advisor at the FDA. "It can damage the kidneys and the nervous system, and interfere with the development of the brain in unborn children and very young children."



In a letter by Maria Lourdes Santiago, chief of the FDA Laboratory Services Division, to Aileen Lucero, the coalition's safe cosmetics campaigner, the FDA listed the 14 skin whitening products that were tested using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS-GF).

The FDA test results showed that the products contained mercury as high as 63,516.41 parts per million (PPM), way beyond the allowed limit of 1 part per million.

Nemia Getes, chief of the FDA Regulation Division 1, told Manila Bulletin that in light of the results, the agency will possibly issue an advisory and circular to warn consumers of the dangers of using the products.

"The FDA test results reinforce our own findings about dangerous levels of mercury in some skin lightening creams. We expect the FDA to update its current list of 50 banned mercury-laced skin whitening products. Consumer information and regulatory action are needed to rid the market of such health-damaging cosmetics," Lucero said in a text message.

The products tested for high mercury content are the following:

1. AILKE Perfect Salvation Rosy Whitening A + B - 63,516.41 PPM of mercury

2. Feique Golden Aloe Whitening Anti-Scar, Anti Freckle Set - 28,805.94 PPM

3. Feique - 15,314.84 PPM

4. Feique Green Tea Vital Whitening Freckle-Removing Cream - 5,081.58 PPM

5. Bai Li Tou Hong - 34,177.31 PPM

6. Maidaifu  Herbal Moisturizing Cream Wrinkles Harmonie - 47,891.23 PPM

7.  Yudantang Green Cucumber and Ginseng 6 Days Specific Eliminating Freckle Whitening Cream - 10,308.11 PPM

8. Loreial Paris Anti-Freckle Cream Suit - 1,874.48 PPM

9. Aichun Beauty Strongly Whitening Freckle Series (3 in 1) - 1,454.56 PPM

10. “Special Cream”  (double, label in Chinese) - 2,511.53 PPM

11. “Special Cream” (single, label in Chinese) - 1,660.58 PPM

12. Yudantang Ginseng and Ganoderma Lucidum 6 Days Specific Eliminating Freckle Whitening Sun Block Cream - 14,954.08 PPM

13. Aichun Beauty Green Tea Whitening Speckle Removing Series  - 1,826.95 PPM

14. Aichun Beauty Paw Paw Whitening and Freckle Remover Series - 2,528.21 PPM