AN ENVIRONMENTAL watchdog on Wednesday reiterated its call for the Food and Drug Administration in Region 7 to curb the alleged rampant sale of prohibited cosmetics laced with mercury, particularly in Cebu City.
A random check conducted by the EcoWaste Coalition last Sunday disclosed least 12 retail outlets in the city sell the FDA-banned cosmetics laced with mercury, some of them even near the FDA regional office on Sanciangco Street.
“We appeal to concerned FDA regulation officers in the region to initiate immediate law enforcement action to rid the marketplace of dangerous cosmetics with mercury that can harm the people and the ecosystems,” EcoWaste national coordinator Aileen Lucero said.
“To break this illicit trade, those behind it should be identified, charged and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, if only to uphold the inalienable human right to health and a non-toxic environment,” she added.
To demonstrate the extent of mercury contamination, the group purchased a pair of Goree Beauty Cream and had them screened for mercury using an X-ray fluorescence analyzer.
The products were bought with a receipt provided at Melody Beauty Products Trading, a store with a signage that is only about 60 steps away from the FDA regional office.
Toxic mercury in skin lightening products, the World Health Organization said, can cause skin rashes, scarring and discoloration; reduced skin’s resistance to bacterial and fungal infections; nervous, renal, and immune system damage; and anxiety, depression and
Instead of artificially lightening the skin, the EcoWaste Coalition advocates for acceptance of one’s inherent skin tone and the recognition that every natural skin color is beautiful.
“We are not defined by our physical looks and the color of our skin,” EcoWaste stressed.
