Safety Advisory: FDA (Philippines) warns against mercury-laden whitening products

Nov 20, 2013 - FDA (Philippines) issued a notice listing several whitening products which were found to contain mercury levels beyond regulations values. FDA found 11 mercury-tainted products from a set of products which were found to have no Certificate of Notification from the said agency. Products without FDA notification may not be sold, nor offered for sale to or use by consumers.

The following products were found to exceed the 1 ppm mercury content limit set by the FDA:

1. Sanli Eliminating Freckle Cream Plus Complex Vitamin C & E
2. Erna Whitening Cream
3. Top Shirley Nourishing Cream
4. Jiao Li Huichunsu Specific Eliminating Freckle Cream
5. Jiao Li Speckle-Dispelling & Whitening Cream
6. LMSER Cream
7. Gemli Beauty Series Freckles Cream Plus Placenta Extract
8. Zhjren 7 Day Beauty Elegant Moisturizing & Whitening Day Cream & Night Cream
9. Zhjren Whitening Ruddy Combination Suit
10. White Magnolia Intensive Repair Essence & Powerful Spot Remover
11. Angela Placenta Whitening Cream (Tender Skin and Whitening)

According to the FDA memo, some manufacturers add mercury salts to skin care products to inhibit melanin formation which will result in lighter skin. However, excessive skin exposure to mercury may lead to skin rashes, discoloration, scarring, and weaker resistance against bacterial and fungal infections, apart from more adverse effects such as kidney failure, anxiety and depression.

Meanwhile, the other product mentioned in the FDA notice for being unauthorized products are the following:

1. Excellent Royalsuffi Fade-Out Cream-Day Cream
2. Yu Yan Excellent Yest Intensive Night-Cream
3. Baschi Day & Night Cream
4. Feique Herbal Extract Whitening Freckle-Removing Series

FDA advised the consumers to buy cosmetic products with FDA market authorization and from legitimate outlets only. An order has been issued to local governments and FDA officers to seize the prohibited cosmetics.