EcoWaste Coalition Detects Toxic Mercury in Herbal Cream Already Flagged by New York City Health

June 4, 2026
Olivia
Health
0

Product claims it “doesn’t contain mercury.”

3 June 2026, Quezon City. For its latest toxic exposé, the environmental and health watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition announced that it has detected mercury in an imported herbal cream that promises to “make the skin radiant and fair.”

According to the group’s X-ray fluorescence (XRF) screening, the Pakistan-made Seven Herbal Ubtan by CPHL, purchased from an online seller for P201, contains 10 parts per million (ppm) of mercury, despite the product description stating it “doesn’t contain mercury.” The group had earlier detected 19,750 ppm of mercury in Seven Herbal Beauty Cream by Rich & Royal International, also from Pakistan.

Ubtan refers to a traditional Ayurvedic paste blending natural herbs, flours, and oils to cleanse and nourish. According to the product label, Seven Herbal Ubtan contains “pure herbs” and is marked “improved export quality.

Internet search indicates that Seven Herbal Ubtan by CPHL has been flagged as early as 2024 by the New York City Health, along with 21 other products from Pakistan and Thailand, for containing mercury, stressing “mercury is a poison and can harm your health.” Users were advised to “ask your health care provider to test your urine for mercury.”

On the other hand, mercury was not detected in Arena Gold Milky Face Wash, Faiza Moisture Balancing Whitening Face Wash, Golden Pearl Lightening Urgent Facial, and Sandal Light & Bright Fairness Face Wash — all Pakistan-made, which EcoWaste bought online. All these products lacked market authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which also flagged unauthorized Pakistan-made Parley 24K Gold Gleam Creamy Scrub last April 23.

With its discovery of one more Pakistan-made skin lightening product with mercury, which brings the total to 43, the EcoWaste Coalition again slammed the nonstop use of online shopping and social media platforms to advertise, distribute, and sell cosmetics with mercury in direct violation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which has banned the manufacture, import, and export of mercury-added cosmetics in 2025 (the original phase-out deadline was in 2020).

The group urged governments to mobilize national and international law enforcement agencies to stop the illegal manufacture and trade of mercury-added cosmetics.

For the Philippines, the group sought the combined participation of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine National Police (PNP), and Bureau of Customs (BOC), together with their counterparts, namely the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and the World Customs Organization (WCO), to implement a joint plan to put a stop to this shameless breach of the mercury treaty.

According to the New York City Health: “Mercury is a harmful metal that can damage the skin, nervous system, and kidneys. People who have been exposed to mercury may not look or feel sick, but repeated exposures can result in skin rash, tingling or numbness, tremors, irritability, memory loss, and depression. Mercury poisoning can be especially harmful to children, affect a fetus, and increase the risk of miscarriage during pregnancy. The longer and more often someone uses products containing mercury, the greater the health risk. Mercury can enter the body when these products are applied to the skin.

“People who are not using the products themselves can also be exposed to the harmful effects of mercury by breathing in vapors released by the products and by coming into contact with bed linens, towels, or other clothing contaminated by the products,” the health agency said.

“Colorism, prejudice in favor of lighter skin tones, can be the motivation behind skin lightening,” it added.