(Group shares safety reminders to avoid mercury exposure due to adulterated cosmetics)
Quezon City. The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition announced it discovered a new Pakistan-made skin lightener contaminated with high levels of mercury despite the global ban on such products under the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
The Gold Swan 24K Gold Beauty Cream purchased by the group for P250 from a local online seller was found to contain 33,680 parts per million (ppm) of mercury, as per X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) screening it conducted,
The huge amount of mercury detected is a flagrant breach of the 1 ppm limit for mercury under Pakistan Standard 3228-2017, as well as the 2020 phase-out deadline for the manufacture, import and export of mercury-added cosmetics under the Minamata Convention that was later moved to 2025 by the Conference of the Parties in 2023. The product’s mercury content also exceeds the Convention’s 15 ppm limit for waste to be classified as mercury-contaminated.
Like the group’s 49th “toxic discovery” (a Pakistan-made Faiza Beauty Cream Infused with Omega-3), the product was manufactured in May 2026, indicating nonstop production of mercury-containing skin lightening products in Pakistan.
As written on the packaging, Gold Swan contains gold pigments and plant extracts, among other ingredients. Mercury and its compounds were not listed, and no mercury hazard warning was provided.
Gold Swan promises a youthful, glowing, and beautiful skin complexion. The product further claims it can reduce fine lines and wrinkles, repair sun-damaged skin, and even skin tone.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “adverse health effects of the inorganic mercury contained in skin lightening creams and soaps include: kidney damage, skin rashes, discoloration and scarring, reduction in the skin’s resistance to bacterial and fungal infections, anxiety, depression, psychosis, and peripheral neuropathy.”
“Mercury in soaps, creams and other cosmetic products is eventually discharged into wastewater. The mercury enters the environment, where it becomes methylated and can enter the food chain as a highly toxic methylmercury in fish,” the WHO said.
“Pregnant women who consume methylmercury can transfer the mercury to their fetuses, which can result in neurodevelopmental deficits in the children,” the WHO warned.
To prevent mercury harm through the use of tainted skin lighteners, the EcoWaste Coalition again urged the public to observe these safety reminders:
- Embrace your natural skin color, and challenge colorism, a form of discrimination or prejudice that favors people with lighter skin. Reject chemical whiteners entirely and take pride in your natural skin complexion.
- Carefully review product packaging and look out for red flags, including poor labeling information and exaggerated product promises.
- Stay alert: Banned or unauthorized cosmetics are still easy to find on online shopping and social media platforms.
- Visit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) verification portal at https://verification.fda.gov.ph/ before adding to cart or making a purchase.
- If you experience skin rashes, discoloration, or other adverse symptoms after using products of unknown origin or composition, please seek immediate medical advice.
The EcoWaste Coalition has already notified the FDA about its discovery of mercury-laden Gold Swan 24K Gold Beauty Cream.
References:
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-CED-PHE-EPE-19.13
https://minamataconvention.org/en/topics/mercury-cosmetics
