More and more demanding consumers have made cosmetic
companies invest in products and research aiming at improve product quality
and enhance consumer health and sustainability. Some metals are essential for
the good development of beings, but there are others that are harmful to
health. Of all metals only 30 are toxic, and lead, cadmium and chromium
belong to this group. These metals are present in the pigments used in the
manufacture of lipsticks. The legislation establishes safety limits for the
presence of these metals in cosmetics, since the risk of contamination is linked
to their concentration and exposure. For this reason the analysis of potentially
toxic metals in lipsticks is necessary, quantifying and comparing to the
contents presented not only by the companies, but also by the current
legislation. Thus, this study aimed to quantify the levels of lead, cadmium and
chromium in lipsticks of different brands, using acid digestion method and
determination by atomic absorption spectrometry. From the results, it was
possible to observe the presence of high levels of cadmium in all the analyzed
brands and the highest concentrations were found in the darker shades.