On April 6, in a pressing statement, the EcoWaste Coalition—an organization focused on toxic substance monitoring—urged the Pakistani government to rectify its failure in implementing the global prohibition on cosmetics containing mercury. This request was made in anticipation of World Health Day, which falls on Tuesday.

The group, based in the Philippines and actively exposing harmful skin-lightening products laced with mercury since 2011, denounced Pakistan’s ongoing breach of the international ban on mercury-laden cosmetics.

They highlighted alarming mercury levels found in 18 out of 20 recently acquired products labeled as manufactured in Pakistan, with some showing as much as 33,970 parts per million (ppm). This included eight products that boasted the Pakistan Standards mark.

“The relentless production of these so-called beauty creams in Pakistan, containing concealed mercury, is both illegal and intolerable. These hazardous items are being sold without consequences, posing significant health risks to women and their families, particularly young children,” stated Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator of EcoWaste Coalition.

“We align ourselves with over 20 global health and environmental organizations that have previously urged Pakistan to cease the domestic manufacturing and international distribution of these perilous mercury-infused cosmetics. If action isn’t taken now, when will it be?” she questioned.

From March 1 to March 31 of this year, during the observance of National Women’s Month, EcoWaste Coalition procured 20 products from 14 Pakistani cosmetic firms that promoted skin lightening and anti-aging benefits.

Thirteen products were sourced from online vendors on prominent Philippine e-commerce platforms—Lazada and Shopee—while seven were bought from beauty product stalls in Pasay City.

Among these products, five were labeled as “export quality.”

“Analysis using a handheld Olympus Vanta M Series X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device revealed that 18 of the products contained mercury levels reaching up to 33,970 ppm, with 11 exceeding 20,000 ppm. All 18 products surpassed the 15 ppm limit for mercury-contaminated waste and should be classified as hazardous waste. Notably, 13 of these mercury-laden products were manufactured in 2025, two in 2024, and three in 2023, well beyond the 2020 and 2025 phase-out deadlines,” the group elaborated.

The EcoWaste Coalition emphasized that the revelation of these dangerously contaminated skin-lightening products highlights the urgent necessity for all parties involved in the Minamata Convention on Mercury, including Pakistan, to strictly enforce the prohibition on mercury in cosmetics.