TOXIC watchdog group BAN Toxics applauded the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for issuing public health warnings against the purchase and use of unauthorized cosmetic products, including the “Dr Yanhee Facial Cream Set Skincare Whitening Melasma Thailand Rejuv Set Original,” which comes in red, green, purple, and blue containers.
The following FDA advisories were released regarding these products:
1. FDA Advisory No.2024-1367 || Public Health Warning Against the Purchase and Use of Unauthorized Cosmetic “Dr. Yanhee Facial Set Skincare Whitening Melasma Anti Aging Acne Soft Thailand Rejuv Set Original Vitamins + Glutathione – Red”
2. FDA Advisory No.2024-1356 || Public Health Warning Against the Purchase and Use of Unauthorized Cosmetic “Dr. Yanhee Facial Cream Set Skincare Whitening Melasma Thailand Rejuv Set Original – Green”
3. FDA Advisory No.2024-1355 || Public Health Warning Against the Purchase and Use of Unauthorized Cosmetic “Dr. Yanhee Facial Cream Set Skincare Whitening Melasma Thailand Rejuv Set Original – Purple”
4. FDA Advisory No.2024-1372 || Public Health Warning Against the Purchase and Use of Unauthorized Cosmetic “Dr. Yanhee Facial Set Skincare Whitening Melasma Anti Aging Acne Soft Thailand Rejuv Set Original Melasma Freckles Set – Blue”
In August, BAN Toxics reported the sale of these Thailand-made beauty products to the FDA. Using a Vanta C Series HH XRF Analyzer, the group detected high concentrations of mercury, ranging from 11,300 ppm to as high as 23,800 ppm. This far exceeds the 1 ppm mercury content limit set by the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global treaty that the Philippines is a signatory to. Both DENR and FDA regulations, as well as the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive, enforce this 1 ppm limit.
Additionally, the group identified over 50 sellers of these unauthorized products on popular e-commerce platforms such as Lazada and Shopee.
“We laud the FDA for swiftly doing its job to warn the public against unnotified, unregistered, and mercury-containing beauty products being marketed in online shopping platforms,” said Thony Dizon, Toxics Campaigner, BAN Toxics.
“In the effort to eliminate the use of mercury in skin lightening products, we urge the online shopping platforms to comply with FDA advisories and prevent the sale of banned and prohibited products,” Dizon added.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mercury and other hazardous substances in cosmetics can cause kidney damage, skin rashes, discoloration, scarring, increased susceptibility to infections, anxiety, depression, psychosis, and peripheral neuropathy. For expecting mothers, exposure to these toxins is especially concerning as it can transfer to the developing infant through the placenta and breast milk, leading to lasting health risks.
BAN Toxics has been monitoring the proliferation of mercury-containing skin lightening products for years, repeatedly calling on regulatory agencies such as the FDA, DTI, and the Bureau of Customs to take enforcement actions to end the illegal trade of mercury-added products in both online and physical markets, as well as to prevent their entry into the country.
The FDA advises the public not to purchase the aforementioned violative cosmetic products. Consumers can verify whether a product is authorized by using the FDA Verification Portal at https://verification.fda.gov.ph.
The FDA advisory says “All concerned establishments are warned not to distribute violative cosmetic products until they have fully complied with the rules and regulation of the FDA.”
The FDA further requested that all Regional Field Offices and Regulatory Enforcement Units, in coordination with law enforcement agencies and local government units, ensure that violative products are not sold or made available in their areas of jurisdiction.
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