BAN Toxics is urging residents of Davao City to be cautious when purchasing and using skin-lightening products, as many of these items continue to be found with dangerous levels of mercury. The environmental watchdog group warns that mercury-laden cosmetics are still being sold in local beauty shops, posing serious health risks to consumers.
In a market monitoring operation conducted by BT Patroller Julius Velicaria on April 30, several banned skin-lightening products were found on sale in beauty shops across the city. These include Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene, Goree Day and Night Beauty Cream, Goree Gold 24K Beauty Cream, 88 Total White Underarm Cream and C Collagen Plus Vit E Day and Night Cream — all of which have been banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) due to their mercury content.
This is not the first time these products have been found in local stores in Davao. In 2022, BAN Toxics uncovered the illegal sale of mercury-added creams through test-buy operations in Davao City, Tagum, Mati, and Nabunturan.
Goree products, manufactured in Pakistan, were flagged by the Zero Mercury Working Group (ZMWG) for exceeding the allowable mercury limit of 1 part per million (ppm).
The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies mercury as toxic to human health and includes it among the top ten chemicals of major public health concern.
Inorganic mercury found in these products can cause severe health issues such as kidney damage, skin rashes, discoloration, scarring, weakened resistance to infections, and psychological effects including anxiety, depression, psychosis, and nerve damage.
“Our latest market surveillance shows that illegal sales of banned cosmetics are still happening despite repeated warnings from the FDA. The continued sale and use of these dangerous products must stop to protect Davaoeños from mercury exposure,” said Thony Dizon, Toxics Campaigner of BAN Toxics.
BAN Toxics is calling on Davao residents and local government officials to take action by enacting a local ordinance similar to one in Quezon City. That ordinance bans the manufacture, distribution, and sale of mercury-containing skin-lightening cosmetics, and applies to all manufacturers, importers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers — including street vendors, tiangge markets, and online sellers.
The group emphasized that the continued presence of these banned products in local stores represents a serious public health threat. Immediate and coordinated efforts are needed to put an end to the illegal trade of hazardous cosmetics.
“It is the responsibility of both the government and business owners to protect consumers from toxic mercury and to uphold the public’s right to health,” BAN Toxics stressed
