Thailand bans 12 skincare products sold online in PH
Twelve skincare products from Thailand were ordered to stop production and trade after they were found to contain high levels of mercury.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Thailand banned the following products, mostly whitening creams, according to a joint press release by environmental health groups EcoWaste Coalition and Ecological Alert Recovery-Thailand (EARTH) on Wednesday: Lady Gold Seaweed Gluta or Super Gluta Brightening, five variants of Dr. Yanhee (also called Mhor Yanhee), two variants of Dr. Wuttisak (or Mhor Wutti sak), Meyyong Seaweeds Super Whitening, Polla Gold Super White Perfects, 88 Whitening Night Cream, and Snow White Armpit Whitening Underarm Cream.
EcoWaste tested the items using an X-ray fluorescence analyzer after obtaining the cosmetics from online sellers. The group found that the products were contaminated with mercury ranging from 3,042 parts per million (ppm) to 44,540 ppm, which they said was way beyond the 1 ppm limit under the Asean Cosmetic Directive.
The group added that “tests conducted by FDA Thailand confirmed the presence of mercury in all the 12 products.”
According to the U.S. FDA, exposure to mercury can have serious health consequences. Signs and symptoms of mercury poisoning include irritability, shyness, tremors, changes in vision or hearing, memory problems, depression, and numbness and tingling in hands, feet, or around the mouth.
The U.S. agency warned that people nearby could be exposed to mercury by breathing in mercury vapors or using items like washcloths or towels that have been contaminated with mercury.
Some of the samples tested by EcoWaste also contained controlled ingredients in prescription medicines.
These include betamethasone, hydroquinone and retinoic acid, which are not allowed in cosmetics and should only be used “under stringent medical supervision” for treating certain skin conditions.
The two groups also commended the action of the Thai FDA, which they had earlier sought for help in putting a stop to the illegal production and exportation to the Philippines of the mentioned beauty items.
“We laud the Thai FDA for listening to our plea for regulatory action, which eventually led to the banning of 12 of the 14 mercury-added products we previously reported,” said Aileen Lucero, national coordinator of EcoWaste.
“We urge those behind the manufacture, export, import, distribution and sale of these dangerous cosmetics to desist from continuing their unlawful activities, which pose a real threat to people’s health and the environment as well,” she added.
Lucero further warned that “despite being flagged by the Thai health authorities, some of these banned products are still listed in popular online shopping platforms.”
EcoWaste and EARTH also urged national cosmetic regulatory agencies to strengthen their coordination and to make the Association of Southeast Asian Nations post-marketing alert system more accessible to the public.
The system is meant to inform and protect consumers against defective or unsafe health products, such as those contaminated with mercury and other dangerous substances.
