Thai whitening cream found to be toxic
Toxics watchdog EcoWaste Coalition cautioned the public on Sunday against buying a Thai whitening cream called Meyyong Ra (Seaweed) Extra Whitening & Facelift after it was found to contain high levels of mercury.
EcoWaste said that the product contained 2,447 parts per million (ppm) of mercury, higher than the 1-ppm limit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Cosmetic Directive, after testing it with an X-ray fluorescence analyzer.
The group noted that the cream, which was being sold online for P150, “appears to be related to the Meyyong Ra (Seaweed) Super Whitening Set” that was also made in Thailand.
The whitening set was banned by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) last Dec. 19 for lacking the required certificate of product notification, EcoWaste said.
Citing data from the World Health Organization (WHO), EcoWaste warned that inorganic mercury in skin lightening products can cause adverse health effects such as “kidney damage, skin rashes, skin discoloration and scarring, reduction in the skin’s resistance to bacterial and fungal infections, as well as anxiety, depression, psychosis and peripheral neuropathy.”
Using products tainted with mercury also risks exposing other members of the household to the toxic substance, EcoWaste pointed out, since they can inhale the mercury vapors, or through touching or hugging the person who applied the contaminated product.
Furthermore, mercury can also pollute the environment as these creams and other cosmetic products are eventually discharged into wastewater, “where it becomes methylated and can enter the food chain as highly toxic methylmercury in fish,” according to WHO.
EcoWaste said it will notify the FDA regarding the contaminated cream and request for law enforcement action.
