FW: Mercury in Skin whitening creams found in Sri Lanka
Hemantha Withanage
Press Release
23rd November 2012 Colombo, Today the Centre for Environmental Justice/Friends of the Earth Sri Lanka revealed that its recent research finding shows very high levels of Mercury in the SKIN WHITENING CREAM available in the Sri Lankan market.
The highest mercury level was recorded as 30167 ppm in PAI MEI WHITENING SPOT CREAM imported from China. Meanwhile CAIKE RED GINSENG CREAM imported from China recorded19699 ppm and XIN JIAOLI CREAM imported from China recorded 1560 ppm. Out of 16 samples tested, 9 samples are positive for mercury ranging from 0.06 to 30167 ppm. One sample i.e. Fair and Lovely fairness cream recoded 33.27ppm Lead (pb). Please see the attached table for details.
According to the SLS Mercury is generally not recognized as safe (GNRAS). However, mercury can contain in level of 70ppm only for eye makeup and eye makeup removals.
“It is always a best practice to check whether the product contains an ingredients list and mercury is not listed in it” Miss Chalani Rubasinghe , Environmental Officer of the Center for Environmental Justice said. Mercury can be indicated as, “calomel,” “mercuric,” “mercurous chloride” or “mercurio”, “mercuric oxide”, “mercuric sulphide (vermilion)” she added.
The Cosmetics, Devices & Drugs (CDD) Act No 27 of 1980 as amended, is the legislative framework which provides the legal authority to regulate Cosmetics, Devices & Drugs in Sri Lanka. Cosmetics, Devices & Drugs Regulatory Authority is responsible for implementation of the provisions of the Act Miss Indu Wattege, Legal officer of the CEJ said. Most imported product only printed in Chinese. The consumers have no way to read the information,which is against the laws in Sri Lanka.
According to Mr Hemantha Withanage, “public awareness it a key to stop mercury contamination from the skin whitening creams and soaps intruding into the local market. The Health Ministry and the Consumer Affairs Authority need to tighten the law enforcement to stop this mercury contamination thought these consumer goods.”
Centre for Environmental Justice
Contact: Hemantha Withanage, 0777600503, Chalani Rubasinghe: 0112683282
Notes to the Journalists: Mercury is one of the primary toxic metals of concern in cosmetics. The toxicity depends on the type of mercury exposed. The most hazardous form is the organic or the Methyl mercury. But all forms of mercury are absorbed through skin and tend to accumulate in the body due to lipophilic property of the chemicals. Contamination of mercury in blood can cause allergic reactions, skin irritation, or adverse effects on the nervous system3. Clinical symptoms of over exposure to mercury include tremors, weakness, memory loss, dermatitis and impaired kidney function. Despite of all these health issues mercury is used in whitening treatments such as whitening creams, soaps and ointments. The mercury in whitening creams function as the inhibitor of melanin formation and the products are popular among the people with a dark complexion disregard of the gender or the country they live. Whitening cosmetic products are popular all over the world including Sri Lanka. Some survey has highlighted that some of these whitening products are available in populated as well as very rural areas of Sri Lanka such as Padaviya and Sripura.
|
Cosmetic product |
Sample No. |
Level of Mercury(mg/kg) |
Level of Lead (mg/kg) |
|
XIN JIAOLI 10 WHITENING SP. RE2 |
CA04 |
1506.52 |
<0.05 |
|
XIN JIAOLI 10 WHITENING SP. RE2 |
CB04 |
1218.53 |
<0.05 |
|
PAI MEI WHITENING SPOT CRM |
C007 |
30167.66 |
<0.05 |
|
CAIKE GINSENGWHITEN CREAM |
C008 |
19699.1 |
<0.05 |
|
LOREAL WHITE PERFECT DAY |
C012 |
<0.02 |
<0.05 |
|
EMAMI FAIR AND HANDSOM |
C014 |
<0.02 |
<0.05 |
|
FAIR N LOVELY C.FAIRNESS C. |
C019 |
<0.02 |
33.27 |
|
THAI ROSE WHITENING CREAM |
C023 |
4.17 |
<0.05 |
|
FAIREVER FAIRNESS CREAM |
C024 |
0.45 |
<0.05 |
|
EVE FAIRNESS |
C030 |
25.46 |
<0.05 |
|
VASELINE HELTHY WHITE (BCD3:49) |
C031 |
<0.02 |
<0.05 |
|
NATURE SECRETS MULBERRY FAIRNESS CREAM |
C032 |
1.92 |
<0.05 |
|
NATURE SECRETS MULBERRY FAIRNESS CREAM |
C033 |
<0.02 |
<0.05 |
|
VASELINE HELTHY WHITE (BCD3:48) |
C034 |
<0.02 |
<0.05 |
|
JANET AYURVEDA FAIR & NATURAL |
C020 |
<0.02 |
<0.05 |
|
OLAY WHITE RADIANCE |
C006 |
0.06 |
<0.05 |