Cosmetics in Philippines
Results at a Glance
Skin whitening products such as creams, lotions or soaps sometimes contain toxic mercury chloride and/or ammoniated mercury, or hydroquinone, which is also highly toxic.
This study measured 12 skin whitening products, noting eleven out of 12 skin whitening products tested had mercury levels from 1,085 up to 28,600 parts per million (ppm). The Philippine regulatory limit is 1 ppm for mercury in cosmetics. While most of the products where made in China, it is worth noting they are also in violation of “Hygienic Standards for Cosmetics” of the People’s Republic of China, which is also 1 ppm. None of the eleven products which had mercury, listed or label mercury as an ingredient.
This study catalyzed the Senate Committees on Trade and Commerce and on Health and Demography, to convene a public hearing and urgency of enacting a “Safe Cosmetics Act.”
Toxic Chemicals in Whitening Creams
| Product Name | Components ppm |
Mercury 25 |
|---|---|---|
| Jiaoli Miraculous Cream | 01a - (#1 cream) | 7143, 7338, 7263 |
| 01b- (#2 cream) | 7665, 7660, 7624 | |
| Jiaoli 7-days Specific Eliminating Freckle AB set | 02a- (A cream) | 8615, 8636, 8733 |
| 02b- (B cream) | 1.22%, 1.24%, 1.24% | |
| Miss Beauty Magic cream | 03a- (Day cream) | ND |
| 03b- (Night Cream) | 2.86%, 2.85%, 2.84% | |
| Aichun Beauty Whitening Freckle Day and Night Cream | 04a- (Day Cream) | 1272, 1291, 1266 |
| 04b- (Night Cream) | 1574, 1557 | |
| Aichun Beauty Green Tea Whitening Speckle Removing Series | 05a- (Day cream) | 1820, 1801, 1775 |
| 05b- (Night cream) | 1085, 1122, 1093 | |
| Sara Glutathione Sheep Placenta Whitening and anti-spot | 06a- (Day cream) | 6113, 6180, 6210 |
| 06b- (Night cream) | 5586, 5592, 5654 | |
| Miss Beauty Excellent Theraphy Whitening Cream | 07a- (cream) | 2211, 2297, 2304 |
| Beauty Girl Natural Olive and Sheep Essence 10 Double Whitening | 08a- (Day Cream) | ND |
| Speckles Removed Essence | 08b- (Night Cream) | 3614, 3606, 3638 |
| The flower woman 7 day whitening and spot and night set cream | 09a- (Day cream) | 6831, 6837, 6876 |
| 09- (Night Cream) | 7751, 7754, 7541 | |
| JJJ Magic spots removing Cream | 10a-(Day Cream) | 8092, 8200, 8112 |
| 10b- (Night Cream) | 9610, 9270, 9600 | |
| Szitang 7-day specific whitening and spot AB set | 11a- (Day Cream) | 5650, 5662, 5707 |
| 11b- (Night Cream) | 5886, 5856, 5836 | |
| 11c- (Tube) | ND | |
| St. Dalfour Whitening Cream | 12a- (cream) | ND |