Evaluation of Heavy Metals contamination in Marketed Lipsticks

History of cosmetics spans atleast 6000 years of human history and every society on earth. The use of cosmetics in our country can be dated back to the Vedic times that are as early as 1000 B.C. The present study focuses on toxic metals in cosmetics product Lipstick and does not deal with the beneficial or detrimental effects of any other ingredients in such products. Furthermore, the choice of samples for study has been based on the most readily available cosmetics brand in the market. The main objective of the study is quantitative analysis of various toxic metals in cosmetic product Lipstick with a view to emphasize the need for pharmacovigilance of cosmetic products. The samples were analyzed according to standardized international protocols by wet digestion method, by a Flame Emission Spectrophotometer. In addition, the present studies are restricted to lipsticks sold in the Delhi region. Random sampling methodology adopted in this study, fairly indicative results have been obtained which are suggestive of which particular brands need to be more rigorously tested. The safety and toxicity assessment of cosmetic products such as lipsticks is a critical issue that is not only affected by scientific questions, but also by the responsible regulatory agencies as well as consumers, health ministry and governmental organizers. There is an urgent need to stop importing unsafe cosmetics.