Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Study of the Possible Harmful Effects of Cosmetic Beauty Products on Human Health

  • Published:
Biological Trace Element Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The origins of the usage of different substances in beauty, skin, body, hair, and nails care products can be found in ancient times. To achieve better quality and enhance their effects, some additives such as preservatives, stabilizers, mineral pigments, dye, and shine were added to these products. Some of these substances may also have allergic, irritating, and harmful effects on human health. The aim of this study was the optimization of the potentiometric stripping analysis (PSA) for the purpose of determining the content of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, zinc), in some commercial cosmetic beauty products (lipsticks, lip glosses, eye shadows, and henna hair dye). In addition, in order to monitor the potential adverse effects of henna dye on hair quality, as well as the total body burden of heavy metals (Pb, Cd), the paper analyzed hair samples before and after henna dye treatment. Beauty products used for cosmetic purposes can have adverse effects to human health due to the fact that they contain lead, a highly toxic metal. The lead content in the tested samples varied depending on the additives used along with the method of production. The cosmetic products that were analyzed in this study contained a certain amount of zinc, which is an essential element, although its content above the prescribed limit may lead to side effects. Highly toxic metal, cadmium, was not detected in the tested samples. The presence of these metals in cosmetic products certainly indicate that it is necessary to monitor and determinate the content of toxic heavy metals in these products, especially because they are in direct contact with skin or mucous membranes and are often used in daily life.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ullah H, Noreen S, Rehman A, Waseem A, Zubair S, Adnan M, Ahmad I (2013) Comparative study of heavy metals content in cosmetic products of different countries marketed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan Arabian J Chem. doi:10.1016/j.arabjc.2013.09.021

    Google Scholar 

  2. Marinovich M, Boraso MS, Testai E, Galli CL (2014) Metals in cosmetics: an a posteriori safety evaluation. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 69(3):416–424

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Bocca B, Pino A, Alimonti A, Forte G (2014) Toxic metals contained in cosmetics: a status report. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 68(3):447–467

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Salvador A, Chisvert A (eds) (2007) Analysis of cosmetic products. Elsevier, Netherlands, pp. 141–211

    Book  Google Scholar 

  5. Hardy AD, Vaishnav R, Al-Kharusi SSZ, Sutherland HH, Worthing MA (1998) Composition of eye cosmetics (kohls) used in Oman. J Ethnopharmacol 60:223–234

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Al-Ashban RM, Aslam M, Shah AH (2004) Kohl (surma): a toxic traditional eye cosmetic study in Saudi Arabia. J Royal Inst Publ Health 118:292–298

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Kazandjieva J, Grozdev I, Tsankov N (2007) Temporary henna tattoos. Clin Dermatol 25:383–387

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Jallad KN, Espada-Jallad C (2008) Lead exposure from the use of Lawsonia inermis (Henna) in temporary paint-on-tatooing and hair dying. Sci Total Environ 397(1):244–250

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Al-Saleh S, Al-Enazi N (2009) Shinwari. Assessment of lead in cosmetic products. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 54:105–113.

  10. Gondal MA, Seddigi ZS, Nasr MM, Gondal B (2010) Spectroscopic detection of health hazardous contaminants in lipstick using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy. J Hazard Mater 175(1):726–732

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Sainio EL, Jolanki R, Hakala E, Kanerva L (2000) Metals and arsenic in eye shadows. Contact Dermatitis 42(1):5–10

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Flora SJ, Pachauri V (2010) Chelation in metal intoxication. Int J Environ Res Pub Health 7(7):2745–2788.

  13. SCCS, Scientific Committee on Consumers Products. The SCCS’S Notes of guidance for the testing of cosmetic substances and their safety evaluation, 8th revision. SCCS/1501/12.

  14. FDA, Food and Drug Administration (2006a). Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act).

  15. FDA, Food and Drug Administration (2000). Cosmetics: ingredients prohibited & restricted by FDA regulations.

  16. Rulebook on conditions in the sanitary control of items of general use that can be marketed (1991) [Pravilnik o uslovima u pogledu zdravstvene ispravnosti predmeta opšte upotrebe koji se mogu stavljati u promet]. Službeni list SFRJ, 18. (In Serbian)

  17. Mandel JS, McLaughlin JK, Schlehofer B, Mellemgaard A, Helmuert U, Linbald R, McCredie M, Adami U (1995) International renal-cell cancer study. IV. Occupation Int J Cancer 61:601–605

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Waalkes MP, Misra RR (1996) Cadmium carcinogenicity and genotoxicity. In Toxicology of Metals. (Chang, L, Ed.). CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, USA, pp. 231–244.

  19. Nordberg FG, Fowler AB, Nordberg M, Friberg L (2007) Handbook on the toxicology of metal (3rd Edn.), Academic Press, pp. 90–98.

  20. Prasad AS, Brewer GJ, Schoomaker EB, Rabbani P (1978) Hypocupremia induced by zinc therapy. J Amer Med Assoc 240:2166–2168

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Yardick MK, Kenney MA, Winterfeld EA (1989) Iron, copper and zinc status response to supplementation with zinc or zinc and iron in adult females. Am J Clin Nutr 49:145–150

    Google Scholar 

  22. Mitra, S. (Ed.) (2004) Sample preparation techniques in analytical chemistry (Vol. 237). John Wiley & Sons, pp. 230–237.

  23. Miekeley N, Carneiro MD, da Silveira CP (1998) How reliable are human hair reference intervals for trace elements? Sci Total Environ 218(1):9–17

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Kaličanin B, Velimirović D (2013) The content of lead in herbal drugs and tea samples. Cent Eur J Biol 8(2):178–185

    Google Scholar 

  25. IARC (1993) International agency for research on cancer, beryllium, cadmium, mercury, and exposures in the glass manufacturing industry. In international agency for research on cancer monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans; IARC scientific publications: Lyon, France, Volume 58, 119–237.

  26. Grosser Z, Davidowski L, Thompson L (2011) The determination of metals in cosmetics. Perkin Elmer Appl Note 1-6

  27. Al-Saleh S, Al-Enazi N (2011) Trace metals in lipsticks. Toxicol Environ Chem 93:1149–1165

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Adepoju-Bello AA, Oguntibeju OO, Adebisi RA, Okpala N, Coker HAB (2012) Evaluation of the concentration of toxic metals in cosmetic products in Nigeria. Afr J Biotechnol 11:16360–16364

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Liu S, Hammond K, Rojas-Cheatham A (2013) Concentrations and potential health risks of metals in lip products. Environ Health Persp 121:705–710

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Volpe MG, Nazzaro M, Coppola R, Rapuano F, Aquino RP (2012) Determination and assessments of selected heavy metals in eye shadow cosmetics from China, Italy, and USA. Microchem J 101:65–69

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Omolaoye JA, Uzairu A, Gimba CE (2010) Heavy metal assessment of some eye shadow products imported into Nigeria from China. Arch Appl Sci Res 2:76–84

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Campos MMA, Tonuci H, Silva SM, Altoé BS, Carvalho D, Kronka EAM, Pereira AMS, Bertoni BW, Françac SC, Mirandaa CES (2009) Determination of lead content in medicinal plants by pre-concentration flow injection analysis—flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Phytochem Anal 20:445–449

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. MSD, Material safety data sheet (2002) Kings Mountain Mica, Available from: http://www.dar-technic.com/doc/MicaMSDS.pdf

  34. Lekouch N, Sedki A, Nejmeddine A, Gamon S (2001) Lead and traditional Moroccan pharmacopoeia. Sci Total Environ 280(1):39–43

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Strumylaite L, Ryselis S, Kregzdyte R (2004) Content of lead in human hair from people with various exposure levels in Lithuania. Int J Hyg Environ Health 207(4):345–351

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Walsh CT, Sandstead HH, Prasad AS, Newberne PM, Fraker PJ (1994) Zinc: health effects and research priorities for the 1990s. Environ Health Persp 102:5–46

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

These results are part of the projects N° 45017 and N° 41018, financially supported by of the Republic of Serbia Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacy, University of Niš, Faculty of Medicine, 81dr Zoran Đinđić Boulevard, Niš, 18000, Serbia

    Biljana Kaličanin & Dragan Velimirović

Authors
  1. Biljana Kaličanin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dragan Velimirović
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Biljana Kaličanin.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kaličanin, B., Velimirović, D. A Study of the Possible Harmful Effects of Cosmetic Beauty Products on Human Health. Biol Trace Elem Res 170, 476–484 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-015-0477-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-015-0477-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation