Photo for illustrative purposes Image Credit: PixabayManila: Skin-whitening products containing toxic chemicals not only place the lives of users at risk, but damage the environment as well, a Philippine non-governmental organisation has warned. According to the non-profit, EcoWaste Coalition, traders in certain cities in Southern Philippines’ Mindanao continue to sell certain skin-lightening brands containing harmful amounts of mercury despite a government ban on such products due to its risks on public health. Because of this, said Thony Dizon, EcoWaste Coalition Chemical Safety Campaigner, it may be necessary for local government authorities in Cagayan de Oro, Oroquieta, Ozamiz, Iligan, Dipolog, Pagadian, and Zamboanga cities, to act fast to stop the sale of toxic skin whiteners used mostly by women and girls, at risk of mercury poisoning. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), mercury contained in skin lightening soaps and creams can cause kidney damage and “may also cause skin rashes, skin discolouration and scarring, as well as a reduction in the skin’s resistance to bacterial and fungal infections” in addition to anxiety and depression. “To uphold the general welfare as stipulated under the Local Government Code, we appeal to concerned city officials, especially to newly-elected or re-elected mayors, to act with urgency to break the criminal sale of mercury-laced skin whitening products,” Dizon said. The Philippines had banned skin lightening products with mercury levels exceeding the national regulatory limit of 1 mg/kg in 2011 based on recommendations of the WHO. However, it is apparent that sales for these harmful products continue. According to EcoWaste, they had sampled 93 skin lightening creams from beauty and herbal product retailers mostly operating in public markets and shopping malls.