November 8, 2026, Quezon City. With the 11.11 and 12.12 mega-sales approaching, the toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition called on health product and digital trade regulators to stop the illegal sale of mercury-laced skin-lightening products across online marketplaces and social media platforms.
“We are outraged that illegal, high-mercury skin lighteners continue to be smuggled and sold openly all over the country, whether online, on social media, or in physical stores,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.
“Despite the Minamata Convention’s ban on mercury-added cosmetics and nonstop FDA public health warnings, the illegal trade continues without being stopped or punished,” she lamented.
“Mercury buildup in the body is a critical health hazard. It can seriously damage the skin, kidneys, brain, and central nervous system, while also threatening reproductive health and the safety of unborn children,” she added. “We call upon the authorities to enforce the law to its furthest limit, remove listings for mercury-contaminated cosmetics, and ensure violators face legal consequences.”
While all mercury-laced skin lightening products are hazardous to health, the EcoWaste Coalition urged government regulators to focus on Goree Beauty Cream, the most visible mercury-laced skin lightening brand in the market and the most flagged by the FDA.
Despite multiple public health warnings by the FDA, contraband Goree products proliferate in online shopping sites, social media platforms and physical stores across the Philippines.
Since the FDA issued Advisory No. 2017-289 banning Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene and Goree Day & Night Whitening Cream nine years ago, the agency has issued multiple public health warnings against other Goree variants, including Goree Day and Night Beauty Cream, Goree 24K Gold Beauty Cream, Goree 24K Gold Beauty Kit, and Goree Beauty Kit.
“Targeting law enforcement operations against Goree is a top priority. The product often contains mercury levels exceeding 20,000 ppm. Despite multiple public health warnings, it remains available on e-commerce and social media platforms driven by local influencers who falsely promote its efficacy and safety,” said Lucero.
To lure buyers, online sellers have come up with “best-selling bundles with freebies,” such as “buy 5, get 1 free facial wash” and “buy 4, get 1 free soap,” and over-the-top sales pitches (“ito lang ang nakapagpaputi ng kadiliman ko,” “it’s time for a skincare upgrade,” “sikreto ng mga kutis artista”).
Online Goree dealers lure buyers with best-selling bundles.
Because of high mercury levels, Goree has been banned by governmental agencies in Brunei, India, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Sweden, the UK, and the USA. In April 2026, the Pakistan Standards and Quality Agency (PSQA) suspended the licenses of six beauty cream brands, including Goree, for violations of quality and safety standards, including mercury adulteration.
On October 29, the EcoWaste Coalition staged a creative protest in the City of Manila to condemn the blatant illegal trade of Goree and other imported mercury-laden skin-lightening products, and to push for the enforcement of the global ban on mercury in cosmetics under the Minamata Convention. The event coincided with the 9th anniversary of FDA Advisory No. 2017-289.
The EcoWaste Coalition holds a protest parade against the nonstop smuggling of Goree and other mercury-laced cosmetics despite the ban on mercury-added cosmetics.
During the protest, women wore headgear crafted from Goree packaging while holding white masks, featuring skull-and-crossbones symbols to highlight the product’s side effects and silver drops representing the undisclosed mercury used to block melanin production and lighten skin tone.
Protestors also raised placards to voice their views: one declared the mercury-tainted products a “public health enemy,” while others called for a halt to the illegal trade of dangerous cosmetics, explicitly warning “lason ang mga pampaputing may asoge” (whitening products containing mercury are poisonous).
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Reference:
https://www.unep.org/globalmercurypartnership/news/blogpost/toxic-beauty-why-maharashtra-fdas-warning-mercury-laced-skin-lightening-creams-should https://www.counterview.net/2026/07/toxics-link-demands-nationwide-ban.html
https://www.fda.gov.ph/fda-advisory-no-2025-1356-public-health-warning-against-the-purchase-and-use-of-the-unauthorized-cosmetic-product-goree-beauty-kit/
https://www.fda.gov.ph/fda-advisory-no-2025-1362-public-health-warning-against-the-purchase-and-use-of-the-unauthorized-cosmetic-product-goree-gold-24k-beauty-kit/
https://www.fda.gov.ph/fda-advisory-no-2023-2392-public-health-warning-against-the-purchase-and-use-of-unauthorized-cosmetic-goree-24k-gold-beauty-cream/
https://www.scribd.com/document/370492725/FDA-Advisory-No-2017-289
https://propakistani.pk/2026/04/13/govt-bans-sale-of-6-popular-beauty-creams-in-pakistan/
