PRESS RELEASE
May 6, 2020
Environmental group urges Philippine government to protect consumers from toxic cosmetic products
May 6, 2020; Quezon City — Environmental justice group BAN Toxics urged the Philippine government to enforce stricter regulations on cosmetic products and their sellers to ensure consumers’ safety, particularly against cancer-causing ingredients.
BAN Toxics noted that the European Union made amendments to the cosmetic products regulation in November 2019 and entered into force last Friday, May 1. The amendment sought to ban several carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reproductive (CMR) toxicants.
The Zero Mercury Working Group (ZMWG), a global coalition of NGOs which BAN Toxics is part of, released a study in 2019 on the online sale of dangerous cosmetic products with high levels of mercury despite being banned by the government. In the Philippines, mercury-laced skin lighteners are still being sold in Lazada, Shopee and in some stores found in Divisoria.
Despite the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) efforts to address the sale of toxic-laden cosmetic items, several of which are still being sold in Lazada and Shopee, as well as stores in Divisoria.
“Filipino consumers are at risk of being exposed to carcinogenic cosmetic items due to its availability in online shopping websites and in select stores in Divisoria. The Philippine government and the shopping sites must be consistent in enforcing its regulations to address the need to protect their consumers from products that will cause them harm,” said Reynaldo San Juan Jr., Executive Director of BAN Toxics.
“Unless steps are taken, Filipino consumers are at the mercy of unconscionable sellers of toxic goods. This is a matter of public health, and the government needs to fulfill its obligation to promote and protect the health of Filipinos,” exclaimed San Juan.
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Notes to the Editor:
[1] EU ban on CMR toxicants in cosmetics enter into force
[2] Mercury-Added Skin-Lightening Creams Campaign
[3] Lazada, Amazon, eBay among websites found selling illegal mercury-laced skin lighteners
Media Contact:
Melendre Heidyl Dela Torre
Communications Officer, BAN Toxics
melendre@bantoxics.org | +63 917 514 2956