8 Years After Minamata: The Hidden Poison Still Lurking in Skin Lightening Creams

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On August 16, the world marks the eighth anniversary of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a landmark global treaty that promised to protect humanity and the environment from the toxic legacy of mercury. Yet, even as this date passes, dangerous products continue to slip through digital marketplaces and cosmetic shelves — silently poisoning those who seek nothing more than smoother, lighter skin.

In Quezon City, the EcoWaste Coalition has sounded the alarm once again. The watchdog group released a damning report listing 48 skin lightening products — imported from China, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Thailand — each adulterated with mercury, a chemical so dangerous that even minuscule exposure can lead to irreversible harm.

The Treaty and the Broken Promise

The Minamata Convention, adopted on October 10, 2013, and enforced starting August 16, 2017, was meant to phase out mercury-added products such as skin lightening cosmetics. The original target was 2020; the revised goal is now 2025. At COP5 (the Fifth Conference of the Parties), global leaders went further — eliminating even the one part per million (ppm) threshold to make it absolutely illegal to manufacture, import, or export mercury-laced skin lightening products.

But the treaty’s intent is being undermined by the sheer scale of illicit production and online trade. Despite a clear ban, these hazardous creams remain just a click away for consumers — their availability fueled by the lingering belief that fairer skin equals beauty, success, and social acceptance.

“We call for and support strengthened global and local action to fight the illegal production and trade of mercury cosmetics and address colorism and other socio-cultural issues driving the demand for products to lighten the skin color,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator of EcoWaste Coalition. “We need to put an end to the racist notion that equates beauty, cleanliness, and success with being white.”

A Catalogue of Contamination

Among the banned creams is the notorious Goree Beauty with Lycopene, prohibited by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 2017. But EcoWaste’s investigation uncovered far more — 29 brands, ranging from Feique’s herbal creams to Temulawak night products, from Pakistan’s Faiza Beauty Cream to Thailand’s Dr. Yanhee series.

The mercury content found in these creams is staggering — up to 44,450 ppm in one Thai product, Lady Gold Seaweed/Gluta Super Gluta Brightening. That’s over 44,000 times the allowed limit, which now stands at zero.

These products were purchased mostly from third-party online sellers and tested using an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer before being reported to regulators. But the fact they are still openly sold highlights a dangerous gap between policy and enforcement.

Invisible Danger in Every Touch

The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that mercury exposure from these creams can lead to:

Kidney damage

Skin rashes, discoloration, and scarring

Reduced resistance to infections

Anxiety, depression, and psychosis

Peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage)

Women — the primary targets of these cosmetics — face even higher stakes, particularly those of childbearing age, as mercury can harm unborn children.

And the danger doesn’t stop at the user’s skin. Mercury vapor can fill the air in poorly ventilated homes, contaminating shared towels, bedding, and surfaces. Infants and children are at risk simply by breathing or touching items tainted by these creams.

A Call for Urgency

The continued availability of mercury cosmetics is not just a public health scandal — it’s a betrayal of a global promise. The Minamata Convention was born from the tragic history of Minamata disease in Japan, where mercury poisoning devastated an entire community. Allowing mercury creams to circulate today risks repeating history in slow motion, with victims spread across millions of homes.

For the Minamata Convention’s eighth anniversary to mean more than words on paper, stronger enforcement, stricter penalties, and proactive monitoring — especially on e-commerce platforms — must be prioritized.

The battle against mercury cosmetics is more than a fight against toxins in jars. It’s a struggle against the deep-seated prejudice of colorism, the exploitation of beauty ideals, and the corporate greed that trades human health for profit.

Until the last jar of mercury cream is pulled from circulation, the promise of Minamata remains unfulfilled — and every application of these creams is another quiet act of self-harm.

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