QUEZON CITY — The EcoWaste Coalition has called attention to the proliferation of unauthorized cosmetics in online shopping platforms despite efforts by the health authorities to control the illegal sale of such products.
The watchdog group for public health and the environment warned would-be buyers against paying for products whose quality and safety cannot be assured due to their failure to apply and secure the necessary certificates of product notification.
Aside from the three variants of Pakistan-made Goree Beauty Cream that are readily available despite being banned, online shopping sites offer other unauthorized cosmetics from abroad in blatant disregard of Republic Act No. 9711, or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Act, which prohibits the importation, distribution and sale of health products, including cosmetics, without the proper authorization from the agency.
To demonstrate this brazen disrespect of the law, the group conducted test buys targeting skin lightening products manufactured in China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, and which are sold to Filipino online consumers.
The group managed to procure 15 unauthorized products originating from Vietnam (5 products), China (4 products), Thailand (4 products), and Indonesia (2 products), including three products previously banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for being offered for sale without due authorization from the agency.
Despite the public health warnings issued in 2021 by the FDA, the group still managed to buy Thailand-made I-Doll White Armpit Cream and OHO Underarm Whitening Cream from online sellers.
The group also bought counterfeit Indonesia-made RDL Whitening Treatment Day & Night Cream, which the FDA banned in 2019 at the request of the EcoWaste Coalition. While the day cream was negative for mercury, the night cream was found to contain 87 parts per million (ppm) mercury, exceeding the one ppm limit for mercury as a contaminant as per the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive.
Another product purchased, China-made BL Vterly Day & Night Cream, was also found contaminated with 1,701 ppm mercury (night cream).
The presence of mercury in the two products was determined through X-ray fluorescence (XRF) screening.
Below is the list of unauthorized products sold by online sellers at Lazada and Shoppee, which the EcoWaste Coalition bought and screened for mercury:
- From Vietnam: D-Now Whitening Cream, Emoon Cream, Rojzy Jiali, Shee Na, and Thanh Hien Pearl Cream
2. From China: BL Vterly Acne Cream, BL Vterly Day & Night Cream, Houmai Skin Whitening & Freckle Removing Cream, and Yanli
3. From Thailand: AR Vic C Hya Armpit Whitening Cream, I-Doll White Armpit CREAM, Oho Underarm Whitening Cream, and Zale Plus White Beauty & Whitening Facial Cream
4. From Indonesia: Counterfeit RDL Whitening Treatment Day & Night Cream (2 jars) and RDL Whitening Treatment (one jar)Echoing the advice from the FDA, the EcoWaste Coalition urged online shoppers to refrain from buying unauthorized health products such as cosmetics.
Before making any purchase, consumers are advised to check if the product is authorized or unauthorized using the FDA Verification Portal athttps://verification.fda.gov.ph.
According to the FDA, “potential hazards (from using an unauthorized product) may come from ingredients that are not allowed to be part of a cosmetic product or from the contamination of heavy metals.”
“The use of substandard and possibly adulterated cosmetic products may result in adverse reactions, including, but not limited to, skin irritation, itchiness, anaphylactic shock and organ failure,” the FDA said.
To avoid toxic chemical exposures, the EcoWaste Coalition emphasized that “accepting our natural skin tone is the easiest way to protect women and others from mercury and other hazardous substances in some lightening products.”
