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WATCHDOG group Ban Toxics on Friday said they have alerted Bulacan Gov. Daniel Fernando regarding the continued sale of skin-lightening products laced with mercury.
Ban Toxics conducted onsite product surveillance, with patroller Therese Diaz documenting the over-the-counter sale of the questioned products in 11 beauty shops, one local drugstore and a minimart in the municipalities of Balagtas, Guiguinto, Malolos, San Jose Del Monte and Sta. Maria.
Ban Toxics identified the mercury-laced products as Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene Avocado & Aloevera, Goree Day & Night Beauty Cream Oil Free Total Fairness System, Goree Gold 24k Beauty Cream and 88 Total White Underarm Cream.
Prices of the products range from P200 to P250 per unit.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already issued public health warnings against these products that contain mercury, which, according to the World Health Organization, can cause kidney damage, skin diseases and infections.
Ban Toxics wrote to Fernando, urging him to take action and support a provincial campaign against the sale of these cosmetics in promoting a toxic-free environment.
“We need a concerted effort not just from the regulatory agencies but also from local officials to initiate measures to ensure that the banned products are out of the market,” Ban Toxics campaigner Thony Dizon said.
Also, the group called on the Bulacan provincial government to enforce an ordinance banning the use and sale of mercury-laced cosmetics.
Ban Toxics also said that cosmetic products exceeding one part per million of mercury are banned under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which the Philippines has adopted.
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