Transcript Halting the Use, Recycling, Trade and Release of Mercury

Mercury in Cosmetics
Presented by Michael Bender
Mercury Policy Project/
Zero Mercury Working Group
www.mercurypolicy.org
www.zeromercury.org
UNEP Mercury Products Meeting
Bangkok, Thailand
18 May 2007
Summary of Presentation
• Increasing popularity of skin whitening
creams in Asia and all over the world
• Least expensive creams may contain
mercury and other hazardous substance
• Mercury in creams poses health risk
• Risky products are in the marketplace
• Awareness and monitoring can reduce
availability of hazardous creams
Increasing sales throughout Asia
• According to Japanese cosmetics giant
Shiseido, sales of skin-whitening products in
Asia grew by 20 percent between 1997 and
2003.
• In Thailand, the whitening lotion segment
accounts for more than 60% of the country's
annual US$100 million facial skincare market.
• In Hong Kong, moisturizers account for 60% to
70% of the multi-million dollar skincare market,
of which skin whitening products capture 40
percent.
Use is Widespread & Increasing
• 4 out of 10 women in Hong Kong, Malaysia, the
Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan now use a
skin-whitening cream, a survey conducted by
Synovate, a market research company, found.
• Carried out in 2004, 61 percent of respondents
in Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, South
Korea and Taiwan said they felt they looked
younger with a fair complexion. Half of Filipino
women, 45 percent of Hong Kong women and
41 percent of Malaysian women said they were
currently using a skin-whitening product.
Skin treatments including whitening
are offered in Hong Kong's subway.
Most creams considered safe, except
(generally) for least expensive
• While most skin-whitening creams are
considered safe, doctors, consumer groups and
government officials are reporting dangerous
consequences from some brands
• One problem, say doctors, is that the most
effective. but risky skin-bleaching agents are
often the least expensive
• Like mercury-based ingredients or
hydroquinone, which in Thailand sells for about
$20 per kilogram, compared to highly
concentrated licorice extract, which sells for
about $20,000 a kilo.
POISONOUS CREAM!: Below is an example of a “skinwhitening” cream that contains poisonous mercury.
Mercury Salts Can Be Absorbed
• The toxicity of mercury compounds has been
extensively documented.
• Excessive mercury is very harmful to the
nervous system and the kidneys
• High doses of mercury are associated with sight
or hearing loss and hand tremors as well as
personality changes, anxiety, insomnia, memory
loss, progressing to cerebral palsy and
potentially fatal kidney failure
• Even low doses of mercury exposure to the
womb is especially harmful, causing nervous
system, brain damage to the developing baby
Risky products in the market place
• Dozens of imported cosmetics containing
dangerous chemicals, such as
hydroquinone, a carcinogenic substance,
and mercury, have been found in local
markets.
• Many of the products were whitening
lotions and creams, imported from China
and Thailand for consumers seeking fairer
complexions.
Hong Kong Study
• A study of 38 skin-whitening creams in Hong Kong in
2000 showed eight made by global cosmetic makers
exceeded the US safety limits for mercury. Five were
made in China and three in Taiwan.
• One woman was admitted to hospital and 13 others
referred to specialists after using creams that had high
mercury levels 9,000 and 65,000 times above
recommended levels.
• Since 2002, Hong Kong's public has become more
aware of problems that skin-whitening products cause.
• Reassuringly, a 2002 follow up study found that of the
32 skin-whitening products tested, all passed the
safety requirement on mercury and lead content.
Concerns with (mainly) illegal
products
• Inexpensive black-market products with powerful
but illegal bleaching agents are selling briskly
throughout the poorer parts of South and
Southeast Asia.
• Thailand's Food and Drug Administration has
published a list of 70 skin- whitening creams
circulating illegally around the country
• Indonesian officials have identified more than 50
banned cosmetics.
• There are also some questions about legitimate
creams
Indonesia Regulations
• The Indonesia Food and Drug Control Agency
(BPOM) latest public warning was issued in 2004,
when it identified 51 beauty products containing
mercury and Rhodamin B color additive that were
sold in markets across the country.
• In January 2006, police announced they had
seized 200 boxes of cosmetic products containing
mercury from a small manufacturing company in
West Jakarta.
• The company produced imitation Unilever products
such as Dove skin lotion, and fake Procter &
Gamble products like Olay skin moisturizer and
Head & Shoulders shampoo.
Mercury Cosmetics and
Manufacturing Locations
• Many soaps historically manufactured in UK
• 2003 EU export ban moved production
overseas
• Research suggests creams containing
mercury are manufactured in Dubai, Thailand,
China, Taiwan, and Mexico
• Indonesia and S. Africa are thought to be
large exporters of mercury cream
Difficult to monitor imported products
• Indonesian Consumer Foundation has reported that
it is very difficult to stop entry of products into the
market.
• One of the problems in monitoring these products is
that often they are transported to the country by
individuals who carry the products in their luggage.
• For example, a trader at a traditional market, who
sells unlicensed cosmetics priced from Rp 5,000 (55
U.S. cents) to Rp 50,000 (US$5.5), said a "friend" who
regularly traveled to China provided him with the
products.
Recommendations
• Ban manufacture, export, or import of mercury
products by date certain
• Promote public awareness and monitoring,
labeling is the most vital because the people
should be empowered to protect themselves
• Investigate the effectiveness of existing laws,
improve as necessary
• Launch public education campaigns to reduce
demand for these products.
• Call on W.H.O. to fill critical research gap on
detrimental impacts on developing babies
Acknowledgements
Thanks to the following organizations and individuals
for sharing ideas and/or slides for this presentation:
Linda Greer, NRDC
www.nrdc
Peter Maxson, Concorde
East/West, Inc.
UNEP staff