ENVIRONMENTAL organization BAN Toxics has once again reiterated its call for stronger enforcement against the continuing influx of skin-lightening products (SLPs) containing toxic mercury a day before World Consumer Rights Day.
“We have been consistently advocating for the total ban of mercury-containing SLPs for several years now, yet there seems to be no letup in their sale in both physical and online markets. These toxic SLPs put the public and the environment at risk, which is a violation of consumer rights and highlights the need for stronger protection,” said Thony Dizon, BAN Toxics Campaign and Advocacy Officer.
World Consumer Rights Day is observed annually on March 15, first celebrated in 1983 by Consumers International. It is globally recognized and supported by the United Nations and other international bodies, serving as a reminder for countries to uphold and protect consumer rights and interests.
According to Dizon, one of the key issues with mercury-containing SLPs is regulating their entry into the country. “We recognize that regulating these items remains a challenge for our government regulators, which is why we are continuously coordinating with them to provide any support we can,” he said.
On March 3, 2025, BAN Toxics, together with the Zero Mercury Working Group and the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), organized an online workshop that brought together international technical experts and government regulators, including the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB). The workshop aimed to explore policy options for strengthening the regulation of SLPs, share monitoring strategies used in other countries, and discuss effective enforcement approaches.
A presentation during the workshop by BAN Toxics’ Policy Development and Research unit estimated that mercury entering the Philippines through SLPs could reach up to 22 metric tons (MT) annually. This estimate is based on import data for SLPs, assuming that half of the imported products contain mercury at an average concentration of 8.47 parts per million (ppm), derived from 50 samples tested in 2024. The group purchased these samples from online platforms, with 44 testing positive for mercury at levels ranging from 7 ppm to an alarming 67,400 ppm—far exceeding the 1 ppm regulatory limit.
“While the estimate we made is far from definitive, it provides a glimpse into the potential amount of mercury entering our country through SLPs. One key issue in tracking these SLPs is that many enter the country undetected, possibly illegally, or through small parcels ordered via e-commerce platforms,” said BAN Toxics Deputy Executive Director Jam Lorenzo.
International experts from the EEB and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) shared case studies on implementing mechanisms to address the online sale of mercury-added SLPs. Elena Lymberidi-Settimo, Policy Manager for the Zero Mercury Campaign of the EEB, discussed the US Amazon case, where Amazon committed to removing mercury-containing SLPs from its platform, and the EU Product Safety Pledge, which holds online marketplaces accountable for unsafe products. The ACCC presented the Australian Product Safety Pledge, which outlines voluntary commitments from online platforms to improve product safety and compliance.
One of the objectives of the workshop was to engage with online platforms in formulating safety pledges. Lazada, Shopee, and Meta were invited to participate in these discussions, but Lazada declined the invitation, while Shopee and Meta did not respond. BAN Toxics has been actively pushing for stronger accountability from online platforms to address this ongoing issue.
For their part, the FDA, DTI, and EMB presented the various legal frameworks and existing regulations of each agency that cover mercury-containing SLPs, prompting Lymberidi-Settimo to describe these regulations as “advanced” compared to those in other countries.
One highlight of the discussion was the DTI’s presentation of the relatively new Internet Transactions Act (ITA) of 2023, or Republic Act 11967. The law establishes a regulatory framework for protecting merchants and consumers in internet transactions. It designates the DTI as the primary agency with regulatory jurisdiction over e-commerce activities, granting it the authority to issue subpoenas, takedown orders, compliance orders, and blacklist orders.
According to Dizon, their monitoring of popular online platforms Shopee and Lazada shows that the sale of mercury-added SLPs remains rampant. Some online sellers may be taken down, but new ones—or possibly the same sellers under a new account—often reappear. Dizon also noted that social media platforms, including Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram, are being used to promote and sell these SLPs.
“We hope that the ITA will lead to stronger enforcement to better address the sale of mercury-containing SLPs online and hold sellers accountable,” Dizon said.
BAN Toxics emphasized that improving coordination among regulatory agencies and strengthening inter-regional cooperation are crucial to addressing the illegal sale of mercury-containing SLPs. The organization expressed hope that the workshop would pave the way for more consistent and effective collaboration between regulators and online platforms, ensuring that mercury-added SLPs are permanently removed from the market.
Mercury is a highly toxic chemical that can cause irreparable damage to the nervous system. It has long environmental persistence and global mobility, cycling through the atmosphere, ocean, and land. Its emissions and releases can bioaccumulate and biomagnify in the food chain, posing a significant threat to human health and the environment. The Minamata Convention on Mercury—a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from man-made emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds—aims to address these risks. The Philippines is a party to the convention, underscoring its commitment to reducing mercury exposure.
The Philippines is also a member of the ASEAN Cosmetics Directive, a regulatory framework that harmonizes cosmetic product requirements among ASEAN member countries to promote trade and ensure consumer safety.
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