Product Recall at Mercury Drug Stores: LUCIDA DS

Just today, there was a memo to all Mercury Drug Stores to return all stocks of the following to the head office in Libis:

Lucida-DS 500 mg Glutathione
Lucida-DS Grapeseed Oil Extract

Reason: RECALLED BY SUPPLIER.

As most people know, Lucida-DS is being used as whitening agent, especially by Filipinos.

Glutathione is known for its antioxidant effect. But since users have noticed their skin tone lightening as a side effect, glutathione has then been known as a commercial whitening agent.

Lucida-DS has the advantage of being available in 500 mg glutathione per capsule. Compared to other brands, such as the popular MET, which are available in 250 mg glutathione per capsule. A daily dose of 500-1000mg is used to whiten the skin. But for antioxidant effect, 500mg is enough per day. So with Lucida-DS, you need a capsule a day... with MET, you need 2 capsules a day. Lucida-DS costs PhP 49.75 per capsule and MET costs PhP 38.75 per capsule. Apparently, due to its price advantage, it has become very popular.

Btw, Lucida and MET are the 2 brands carried at Mercury Drug Stores. They're BFAD registered. Lucida is a product of the USA and MET is a product of Japan.

Anyway, few customers have reported having some rashes upon using Lucida. This prompted a consultation and then Lucida was of course assayed.

Lo and behold. Assay says that Lucida-DS contains only 4.4 mg of glutathione. What a whopping difference to its 500 mg label claim!

So all the glutathione products available on the market were assayed. Most of them contain less than 10% of the label claim!

Only one product holds true to its claim... and that is MET.

Assay of MET shows that it contains 257 mg of glutathione... 7 mg over its label claim.

Anyway, I just pity those who've been buying Lucida-DS by bulk thinking that it will make their skin whiter...

Kasi naman ang mga Pinay, mahilig magpaputi.

Di na lang makuntento sa kung anong binigay sa atin ni God.

Tsk tsk.

Ako kasi, di ako mahilig dyan sa mga whitening chorva na yan... Why? I love my skin color. Kahit hindi ako maputi, I'm comfortable in my own skin.

Besides, why would I want to be whiter? Eh ang mga Caucasians nga they're getting skin cancer just to have a skin tone such as ours.

Haay.

Kawawa talaga.

Ang daya naman kasi ng Lucida-DS. Siguro yung first few batches nila, 500 mg talaga content ng glutathione... Just so they could be approved by FDA, BFAD, etc. Tapos the next batches of Lucida-DS that they manufactured are already substandard.

Oh well...

Sabi ng Lucida-DS, bad publicity daw to c/o MET... Hmm. What do you think?

Girls! Beware of Chinese Hairbands!

Beware when you are travelling to China. Just try to be careful when you are buying hairbands down the road... Who knows what it is made from?

These hairbands were made from used condoms and threads. That was so disgusting! I would not want to use them!!!

BEIJING, Nov 13, 2007 (AFP) - Used condoms are being recycled into hair bands in southern China, threatening to spread sexually-transmittable diseases they were originally meant to prevent, state media reported Tuesday.

In the latest example of potentially harmful Chinese-made products, rubber hair bands have been found in local markets and beauty salons in Dongguan and Guangzhou cities in southern Guangdong province, China Daily newspaper said.

'These cheap and colourful rubber bands and hair ties sell well... threatening the health of local people,' it said.

Despite being recycled, the hair bands could still contain bacteria and viruses, it said.

'People could be infected with AIDS, (genital) warts or other diseases if they hold the rubber bands or strings in their mouths while waving their hair into plaits or buns,' the paper quoted a local dermatologist who gave only his surname, Dong, as saying.

A bag of ten of the recycled bands sells for just 25 sen (three cents), much cheaper than others on the market, accounting for their popularity, the paper said.

A government official was quoted as saying recycling condoms was illegal.

China 's manufacturing industry has been repeatedly tarnished this year by a string of scandals involving shoddy or dangerous goods made for both domestic and foreign markets.

In response, it launched a public relations blitz this summer aimed at playing up efforts to strengthen monitoring systems.

Birth Month - December

Got this from EJ. :)

RULES: Pick your birth month.
Italic and underline anything that doesn't apply to you.
Bold and maximize the five-ten that best apply to you.
Copy to your own blog, with all twelve months.
Tag 5 people from your friends list. 

JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. teach and Loves tobe taught. Always looking at people's flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart.neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy.Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble.Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. hurt.Loves agressiveness. Too sensitive. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislike unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside but not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH: Affectionate.Secretive.attractive personality.sexy.generous and  Sensitive to others.Naturally honest. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. sympathetic.loves peace and serenity.Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves travelling. Loves attention. Musically talented. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people's problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves travelling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE: Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people's feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and asily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges peopl through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alon. Always broods about the past and old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt and takes long to recover.

AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people's mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn't pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hardhearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

I tag: Katrina Omar, Janina Sy, Mommy Yna Pereyra, Saab Magalona, and Nikki Sindiong.

My latest chorva*...

*chorva - tungkol sa love life ang entry na ito. Pangit naman kasi kung ang latest love affair diba? ^__^

Ayun, sa mga true and close friends ko, wag kayo tatawa ha. :D Magpromise muna kayo... without crossing your fingers. Hehe. ^__^

First, I just want to tell you all that I'm having a great summer. During April, all I did was eat, sleep, play pc games, surf the net, and clean the house. It was really fun... Although bakasyon ang maid namin, hindi naman naging burden ang paglilinis ng house. ^__^ Enjoy naman ako! Nadevelop ang skills ko sa pagluluto, paglilinis, pagaayos, at paguutos. Hahaha!

Tapos nung May 5, nagstart na yung internship ko sa Mercury Drug Store (Parañaque Multinational Branch). :) Sa labas lang to ng village namin... Takes me 10 minutes to go there and another 10 minutes to get back home. :D Never pa naman akong na-late... At wala rin akong balak magabsent. :D Ang saya-saya pala mag-intern. Di naman masyado mahirap ang ginagawa ko... Parang assistant lang ako ng lahat. Hehe. Pero marami rin akong natutunan... Kaya ok sakin. Besides, I'm making the most of it na kasi 2 weeks na lang ang stay ko dun. Mamimiss ko ang experience for sure! ^__^

(Actually, may pending removals pa kami sa Chem 150... pero sana kasi 3.0 na lang ang binigay samin ni Sir na grade... Kasi as usual, namomove ang removals. Nakakatamad na tuloy aralin. Grrr.)

So ayon... back to the real topic.

One time in April, may nagPM sakin sa YM. ~f* [Not real id.] ang kanyang name sa aking listahan. Unang pumasok sa isip ko, "Uy, si J*!" [Name was concealed to protect privacy.] Ang ibig sabihin pala ng name niya, yun ang ID nya sa tabulas.com. :D Dun kasi ako nagblog dati... Lalo na nung nag-LOA ako. Super dami kong friends dun. Hehe. Karamihan sa kanila na-meet ko rin in person. :D Wag nyo na ring subukang hulaan kung sino sya... Dahil dinelete na rin nya ang account nyang yon, matagal na panahon na. ^__^ Mga tabulas friends ko, wag nyo na hulaan! Kung kilala nyo sya, quiet na lang kayo ha. :)

Nung time na nagmessage sya sakin, busy akong naglalaro ng Fairy Godmother Tycoon. So ayaw ko ng istorbo... hehe. Di ko sya masyado pinansin. Pero dahil friends naman kami dati pa, kinumusta ko na rin. Ayon, segment producer na sya sa isang investigative journalism na show sa Kapuso network. Aba. Dream come true na yun for him. Journalism kasi course nya... At graduate na rin sya. Ayon, magaling sya na journalist! Hit ang mga episodes nya. Kita nyo naman sa taas ng ratings ng show nila. :D

Tapos, magbubusybusy-han na kasi ako... kaya sabi ko maglog-out na ko. (Pero maglalaro lang talaga ako. ^__^) Sabi nya, text-text na lang daw. Sabi ko naman, Ok. Sabi niya, nawala nya ata number ko kasi nagpalit daw sya ng phone. Eh di binigay ko yung number ko.

Nung kinagabihan na nya ko tinext. Tapos na rin ako maglaro that time, kaya nagreply ako agad. :)

At yun na ang simula ng madalasan pagtetext... pagpaparamdam. You know...

Ilang beses na kaming nagplan na magmeet, kaya lang di masingit sa busy sched. Kasi naman, Sundays lang ang free days ko. Tapos, kasama ko pa family ko kasi magsisimba kami... at pupunta sa mall... o sa kung saan man. Eh ayoko naman lumabas sa gabi. Di rin ako mahilig gumimik. Kahit pilitin nya ko, di nya ko mapipilit gumimik. ^__^ Anyway, di pa rin kami nakakapagmeet hanggang ngayon.

Syempre, pag madalas mong kausap ang isang tao, napapalagay ang loob mo sa kanya diba? Di naman maiiwasan yun. ^__^ So yun na nga ang nangyari...

Nung gabi ng May 16, 2008, he asked me kung gusto ko ba na maging kami. Sabi ko, ayoko kasi di pa nga kami nagmimeet eh.

Tapos nalungkot sya. Hehe.

Tapos sabi ko, pwede rin naman. But it's not official. Parang MU lang... kasi hindi talaga kami magbf/gf.

So yun, starting that time, I was unofficially in a relationship with someone. (FYI: Single pa rin ang status ko sa Friendster.)

Then, nung May 17, nagpakwento ako tungkol sa love life nya. Eh di sabi nya nagka 3 girlfiends na daw sya. Tapos nagpakwento tungkol sa first. Yung second, common friend namin. Tapos nung sa 3rd girlfriend na, di na nya sinagot tanong ko kung sino at kung kelan. Hm... I smell something fishy.

Nga pala, sinabi ko na rin kay Julie, Steph, at Eiz na I'm unofficially in a relationship with him. Syempre, they're happy for me. Weird man ang situation ko, pilit nilang inintindi. Hehe.

So ayun, ayaw nya talaga sabihin eh. So sige, di ko na pinilit.

At dahil hindi ako mapalagay, kinaumagahan (May 18) ay nagcheck ako ng Friendster. Tinignan ko ang account nya. (FYI: It's complicated ang status nya.) Wala ring pics na nagiindicate na may gf sya. Pero may mga comments ang certain girl na "Happy nth Monthsary." So nagbackread ako... I learned na naging sila nung September 2005. Aba. Naka-3 girlfriends sya in 1 year. Hanep. At syempre, sila pa rin siguro hanggang ngayon.

Haay. Nakakalungkot talaga. Pero di naman ako masyadong nasaktan, nalungkot, etc. Not like my previous chorva*. At may ilang posts din ako dito tungkol sa kanya.

So syempre tinext ko agad sila Steph, Eiz, and Julie. Nag-rant na naman ako. Hahaha. Syempre pinagsabihan nila ko. Dapat talaga di padalus-dalos. Magisip-isip muna. Ayon... and they comforted me. :D Thanks friends!

Ok lang naman kasi talaga ako. I mean, it's not like we're deeply involved or anything. Parang naging more than friend lang ang treatment ko sa kanya. Pero ngayon, back to just friends.

Di nga nya alam na naginvestigate ako. Hehe. Di rin nya alam ang post na to. Wala akong balak ipaalam. Di rin to mababasa ng family members ko. Dahil di na nila kailangan malaman ang detalye. Nakwento ko naman to sa aking sis. At nasabi lang nya, "Haay naku Ate Monique..." Hehe. Alam ko na sasabihin nya... pero di nya tinuloy kung ano man ang sasabihin nya. Buti na lang.

Gusto ko lang kasi na mairecord to somehow... for posterity's sake kumbaga. I wonder though if my children and grandchildren will be able to read this. hehe. :P Di kasi ako makapagsulat sa journal ko ngayon eh kaya dito ko na lang pinost.

Baka kasi malimutan ko to someday... At least may archive ako. Diba?

Once again, I've learned something new... about love... about friendship... and about life.

Ngayon, nagwowonder lang ako... Bakit halos lahat ng nagpaparamdam sakin these days ay taken na? Di ba sila kuntento sa iisang girlfriend lang?

So ngayon nga, I'm officially single. Hehe.

Ayaw ko naman sa may girlfriend na diba? Mahirap yon. Baka ma-karma pa ako. Naaawa rin naman ako sa girl... ayaw kong mangyari sakin yun.

Sabi nga, "Wag mong gawin sa iba ang ayaw mong gawin din sa iyo."

To all the ladies out there... ^__^

Message from God:

No man can ever claim you unless he claims you from me.
I reserved a man for you who has my heart and loves me even more than he will love you.
I won't give you unless he asks you from me.
Soon you'll know him, I have the perfect time.
You're my PRINCESS, my daughter.
Let no prince claim you unless he asks you from my hand.
For I'm your Father, the KING of Kings.
You, my princess, deserves a prince! :)

Thank you Steph for this wonderful quote... I miss you girl! Love ya!

Bakit nya ba ko sinendan nyan? Well, as usual, problems sa love life na naman. :(

Pero okay na ko ngayon... Andyan naman ang aking forever true friends. :D

Mother's Day (May 11, 2008)

As usual, kami-kami lang ulit ang nagpa-studio pic. :D

YFC Moonwalk now has a Multiply Group!

http://yfcmoonwalk.multiply.com/

Join us!

Upload pictures, blog, videos, music, etc now! ^__^