18 February 2026, Quezon City. The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition urged users of a Pakistan-made moisturizing facial cream to halt further use following the product’s withdrawal from the UK market as it poses “a serious chemical risk.”
“To avoid adverse effects on people’s health and the environment, we urge consumers not to buy and use skin lightening products (SLPs) containing mercury and other hazardous ingredients, which are especially dangerous to pregnant women, nursing mothers, children, and babies in the womb,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.
“Our skin is a reflection of our heritage, not our worth or beauty, so please embrace our natural radiance and shun chemical SLPs,” she emphasized.
The UK Government, through the Office of Product Safety and Standards, announced on February 3, 2026, that Tibet Snow Cream has been withdrawn from the market as “the product presents a serious chemical risk.”
The product is touted as an “exquisitely perfumed skin tonic (that) beautifies the skin, making it velvety, soft, and white.”
“It’s a sure preventive against roughness, chapping, and redness of the skin due to heat or cold. An ideal (product) after shaving and a perfect powder base,” the label says.
According to the Product Safety Report No. 2511-0082b, the product contains mercury at a concentration of 85.92 mg/kg or 85.92 parts per million (ppm).
“Exposure to mercury may cause a wide range of adverse effects, including damage to internal organs, the circulatory system, and the nervous system,” the report said.
The authorities told owners to “stop using this product immediately and contact the distributor to request redress.”
According to an infographic published by the Global Mercury Partnership, the UN Environment Program, and the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a legally binding agreement prohibiting the use of mercury in cosmetics such as SLPs, “cultural norms in many countries depict lighter skin being associated with beauty, wealth, privilege, and intelligence.”
“This perpetuates colorism and harmful beauty standards for many people. Consumers are pushed to use SLPs from a variety of sources,” the information material said.
“Dangerous ingredients in SLPs, such as mercury, can cause rashes, discoloration, scarring, and long-term damage to the nervous system, immune system, and kidneys,” the material said. “Pregnant women, fetuses, and small children are especially vulnerable to these effects.”
Such products may also harm the environment. As stated in the material, “Skin-lightening products can impact water quality when they are washed down drains and discharged into wastewater. Fish and other organisms may also be exposed, impacting their health and contaminating food supplies.”
Furthermore, “exposure risks from SLPs extend beyond the users,” as “those in the same household can be exposed through breathing, physical contact, or clothes and towels.”
The EcoWaste Coalition has already alerted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the mercury-laced Tibet Snow Cream flagged by the UK authorities.
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