Makeup Contains Heavy Metals: Myth Or Reality?
Written by Irina Webb
I bet you’re a bit like me and enjoy using makeup. But what do you know about heavy metals in makeup? If face foundation, eye shadows, blush, bronzer, or lipstick are common beauty care products in your skincare routine, then this post is for you. Indeed, if you are concerned about the safety of cosmetic products, finding the safest makeup brands poses an additional challenge due to potential health risks associated with heavy metal impurities.
To clarify, the ingredients that impart color, aka “pigments,” “dyes” or “color additives,” may be the reason for heavy metals in makeup. In this post, you will learn about toxic metals in cosmetics as well as the limits for arsenic, lead, and mercury set by the United States Food and Drug Administration and Canada. But don’t worry – there are ways to avoid potential health problems heavy metals in makeup can contribute to. Read on to find out about these ways!
Is It True That Makeup Contains Heavy Metals?
To begin with, the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) regulates cosmetics under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (a law passed by Congress in 1938). Note, though, that this law does not require cosmetic products or most cosmetic ingredients to have FDA approval before they go on the market. Color additives (aka “colorants”) used in cosmetics are the only exception (source).
To clarify, cosmetic products may contain either petroleum-based or mineral-based colorants. True, both petroleum-based and mineral-based pigments may have heavy metal contaminants, such as arsenic, lead, cadmium, chromium, mercury, aluminum, beryllium, and thallium. As consumers, we can’t know how much heavy metals a makeup product contains. Therefore, we must take precautions.
Personally, I only use makeup with mineral pigments, because at least they do not contain contaminants associated with petroleum. These contaminants may include carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting benzo[a]pyrene. They may also include carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and potentially thyroid-disrupting and skin sensitizing resorcinol. You can see many other impurities on the FDA website.
Additionally, petroleum pigments may be comedogenic (1). Therefore, if you have acne-prone skin, you have another reason to avoid cosmetics with petroleum pigments. (Learn about 15 pore clogging ingredients to avoid and how to exfoliate acne prone skin.)
Plus, some synthetic, petroleum-based pigments (e.g., D&C Red No. 9, D&C Red No. 19, D&C Red No. 27) are linked to carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, and hypersensitivity (source).
Fortunately, there are actions you can take to help you choose the safest makeup brands and/or reduce your exposure to potentially toxic heavy metals in makeup.
Tests That Found Heavy Metals In Cosmetics
To start with, in 2007, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics released a report entitled “A Poison Kiss.” They tested 33 popular brands of lipsticks for lead content. The report stated that as many as 61% of lipsticks contained lead, with levels ranging up to 0.65 ppm.
That same year, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did their own testing and found lead in the 20 lipsticks from the CSC’s report that were still available. The lead amount ranged from 0.09 ppm to 3.06 ppm, with the average of 1.07 ppm. And in 2010, they tested 400 lipsticks only to find lead ranging from 0.026 ppm to 7.19 ppm, with the average of 1.11 ppm, in all of them (source).
Next, in 2011, the Canadian Environmental Defense tested makeup bags of six Canadian women (49 face makeup products). They looked for arsenic, lead, cadmium, nickel, beryllium, thallium, mercury, and selenium. The researchers found that all the beauty care products had multiple heavy metals in them. Even the “cleanest” of them had both nickel and beryllium (source).
Further, in 2013, researchers at the University of California found at least one of nine toxic heavy metals in each of the 24 lip glosses and eight lipsticks they tested. The list included cadmium, chromium, aluminum, manganese, and lead, among others. Most of the tested lip products contained high concentrations of titanium and aluminum. All examined products had detectable manganese. Lead was detected in 24 products (75%), with an average concentration of 0.36 ± 0.39 ppm (source).
Don’t the results of these tests make you want to find the safest makeup brands even more?
Why Are Heavy Metals In Makeup?
It’s important to note that heavy metals are not intentionally added to cosmetics. In other words, toxic metals in cosmetics are not cosmetic ingredients. Rather, they are contaminants, or heavy metal impurities.
How do heavy metals end up in beauty care products?
Well, makeup color additives are derived from either petroleum or minerals (source). Their raw materials come from the Earth’s crust. Heavy metals are a natural part of the Earth’s crust as they are present in water, soil, and air because of industrial pollution. Hence, trace amounts of heavy metals are found in dyes and pigments used in cosmetics.
Speaking of potential health risks related to using makeup with heavy metal impurities, the good news is that the dermal penetration of heavy metals is generally low. For example, per the Canadian government, the dermal absorption of cadmium is only 0.5%.
In fact, the primary sources of exposure to heavy metals are heavy metal-contaminated water or food. In addition, you can be exposed to heavy metals through using contaminated cookware or antique dishes. (Read the skinny on safe cookware for help with reducing your exposure to toxic metals in your kitchen.)
Although makeup is not your main source of potential exposure to heavy metals, it’s reassuring to know that the safest makeup brands do limit toxic metals in cosmetics for the reasons listed below.
Regulations On Heavy Metals In Makeup
Despite their low absorption rate, the government of Canada encourages companies to limit heavy metal contaminants. Why?
First of all, some health problems related to skin, e.g., eczema, acne, skin irritation or lesions, can increase the absorption rate of heavy metal impurities.
Second, the penetration rate of the same heavy metal can differ from product to product. This is because some products include ingredients that enhance skin penetration for other cosmetic ingredients that make up the product’s formulation.
Third, heavy metals in makeup can be ingested, which is the case with the products we put on our skin. Thus, when you touch your made-up face and then eat without washing your hands, you can ingest tiny amounts of makeup. The same thing happens with lipstick, especially if you don’t remove it before eating, drinking, or kissing.
Lastly, we should not forget that heavy metals bioaccumulate. This means that even trace exposure adds up. Our bones store heavy metals, and they stay in our bodies for decades. I don’t know of perfectly safe and effective detox methods for heavy metals. (Ironically, one of them is breastfeeding!)
Thus, I believe it’s a good idea to take precautions about heavy metals in makeup. In other words, before you make up your mind about purchasing your beauty care products, confirm when possible that they come from the safest makeup brands. At the same time, please remember that from a “big picture” perspective, makeup in and of itself is not a major source of heavy metal exposure.
Heavy Metal Limits In Dyes And Pigments
First off, most dyes and pigments that the FDA approves of for use in cosmetics have heavy metal limits assigned to them by the FDA. These limits are mainly for arsenic, lead, and mercury. Depending on the type of color additive, the limits differ. For example, iron oxide is a common mineral pigment to look for in the safest makeup brands. The limits for heavy metals in iron oxide are as follows:
- Lead: not more than 10 parts per million.
- Arsenic: not more than 3 parts per million.
- Mercury: not more than 3 parts per million.
Conversely, for ultramarines (a blue pigment made from clay, sulfur, and charcoal), the heavy metal limits are slightly different:
- Lead: not more than 20 parts per million.
- Arsenic: not more than 3 parts per million.
- Mercury: not more than 1 parts per million.
Some pigments, such as chromium oxide greens, do not have any heavy metal limits assigned to them.
In addition, it is not clear how these limits are translated to the amounts of lead and other heavy metals in makeup in the product as a whole. If a product has a few different pigments, does the probability of heavy metal contamination increase?
Heavy Metal Limits In A Cosmetic Product
For your information, the safest makeup brands must follow government regulations and guidelines provided by consumer safety organizations. Some of the most important ones for our purposes are as follows.
First, the FDA provides guidance as to the maximum level of 10 ppm for lead as an impurity in cosmetic lip products and externally applied cosmetics marketed in the US (source).
Second, the government of Canada sets the following limits for toxic metals in cosmetics:
- Lead: 10 ppm
- Arsenic: 3 ppm
- Cadmium: 3 ppm
- Mercury: 1 ppm
- Antimony: 5 ppm
As the Canadian government says, it is up to a makeup company to assure the safety of cosmetic products it offers. Throughout the years of corresponding with different companies, I’ve received lots of responses from manufacturers. However, I’m not so confident that companies test their cosmetic products to any significant extent, despite the standards cited above. And this is not very helpful when it comes to looking for the safest makeup brands.
Tips On How To Reduce Your Exposure To Heavy Metals In Makeup
- Keep your makeup away from babies and children. Kids are more vulnerable to heavy metal exposure.
- Less is more. Use makeup sparingly and, maybe, not every day, especially when you nurse or cuddle with a baby.
- Limit the use of brightly colored makeup: the more vibrant the color, the more pigments it contains. Chances are that this product will have a higher content of heavy metal contaminants.
- Always remove makeup before heading to bed.
- Avoid eating with lipstick on.
- Avoid using loose, bare mineral makeup as it usually doesn’t have any fillers (depending on the brand). So, it’s pure pigment straight onto, and perhaps into, your skin.
- Avoid breathing in makeup powders.
- Ask questions of makeup companies and purchase from those that are aware of the issue and do something about it.
- Buy makeup products from reputable brands that use high-purity mineral pigments.
Conclusion: What To Do About Heavy Metals In Cosmetics?
To Reduce Your Exposure To Potential Toxic Metals In Cosmetics And, Consequently, To Avoid Potential Health Risks Associated With Them, Buy Your Beauty Care Products From The Safest Makeup Brands That Use High-Purity Mineral Pigments.
To sum up, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, under which the United States Food and Drug Administration regulates cosmetics, does not require cosmetic products or most cosmetic ingredients to have FDA approval before they go on the market. Color additives (aka “pigments,” “dyes” or “colorants”) used in cosmetics are the only exception.
Further, the limits for heavy metals for both petroleum-based (synthetic) and mineral-based pigments set by the FDA don’t make it easier for you to understand if a makeup product you are using is truly safe for you.
Therefore, to minimize your exposure to heavy metals in makeup, you have three options:
- either to stop using makeup altogether, or
- do your own research into heavy metal impurities in makeup of a particular brand you’d like to buy, or
- take advantage of my research and purchase your makeup from reputable brands that use high-purity mineral pigments.
Yes, the good news is that I have already done the arduous research for you. So, what happens next is easy: visit my non-toxic product shop to find makeup, including foundation, eye shadows, blush, bronzer, and lipstick, only from some of the safest makeup brands.
Also, browse the I Read Labels For You blog for useful educational information and use our services and unprecedented e-books to get help with healthy living and healthful choices. Just one more thing: Please share this post with your friends – they need to know, too!
(1) Nelson, Fern P., and Jean Rumsfield. “Cosmetics Content and Function.” International Journal of Dermatology 27.10 (1988).
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I have been using Well People products… do you know anything about them? It’s very hard to dig deep, seems answers are very vague when inquiring to companies. Thank you!
Thank you for doing your own research into companies! We haven’t looked into WP.
What about the W3ll People concealer? Looks natural but I’m not sure if it has preservatives or not
Hi, Ashton! I took a quick look at WP Bio Correct Concealer and noticed that the ingredient list does not list water, and water is what makes products need preservatives. The product does use Ethylhexylglycerin that is an okay preservative.
what is the difference in cbd oil and medical marijuiana
Hi Zariyah! We appreciate your interest! Irina will be happy to help you with your question in a private consultation: https://ireadlabelsforyou.com/services/
So this article and comments began in 2015, it is now May 2020. What have you learned since then? What makeup brand do you use ir recommend?
Hi, Karen; This article has been recently revised. Please look at the updated date. I am glad to observe that public awareness and asking questions have brought results. You can read more about the results in this post here: https://ireadlabelsforyou.com/non-toxic-foundation-works-well/ ~Irina
Hi Irina, any update on Beautycounter’s response? I have recently been told I have extremely high level of metal in my body. I am shortly due to have all my mercury fillings replaced and am currently detoxing. I am using a metal free sunscreen, and not looking for metal free and vegan cosmetics. Thank you for your blog I found it very interesting. Xx
Hi, Emma: Here is my full story on Beautycounter. I can’t recommend their products. https://ireadlabelsforyou.com/beautycounter-story/ Do you filter your water? What cookware and dishware do you use? What kind of detoxing method do you use? I would love to consult with you to see if we can find out the sources of heavy metals. https://ireadlabelsforyou.com/services/consulting/ Let me know if you need my help. ~Irina
Any information about Paula Begoun’s products. PAULA’S CHOICE.
Hi Irina –
Have you reached out to Beautycounter recently? Or did they ever follow up to your initial questions concerning heavy metals?
Thanks!
Hi, Windy: Yes, it has been a LONG process. Even my husband is helping out. He is a lawyer. Anyway, I think we are close to signing an NDA so they can show me heavy metal test reports. ~Irina
Oops, here’s the link. The one above is to the photo.
http://www.beautycounter.com/know-everything/beautycounters-long-and-winding-heavy-metal-journey/
Here is something fascinating. In this article, they said, “For the most dangerous metals (lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium), these levels are usually undetectable, but we ensure that they are always under 2 ppm. This is unprecedented in the cosmetics industry.” When I emailed them, they said, “Each heavy metal has a different limit, so we cannot say that the metals are below 2ppm.” Am I missing something?
Oh wow, thanks for doing that homework for us! And yes, I agree with you … those are not the answers I’m looking for. I just found your site today & will be going through it. I’m especially interesting in which make up you find most promising … especially mascara. Most days I wear no make up and use the oil cleansing method from skin care … love the organic oil options out there. (gotta read those labels too) When I am going out of the house … I feel best when wearing makeup, so you can probable see why the research is important to me. I have spent the last 2 years detoxing from heavy metals, so the last thing I want to do is smear more on my body on a daily basis. Thanks for you thoughts on this!
I know exactly what you mean. When I wear makeup, I feel more beautiful, confident and happier. I have a post on mascaras and will be posting on other type of makeup soon. I have to do LOTS of work behind the scenes. ~Irina
Wow, detoxing from heavy metals… I am so curious as to how one does that? Can someone please shed some light on this subject or Irina, could you maybe do a blog post on it for us? Pretty please…. 🙂 Also, might be a silly question, but if I want the doctors to test me for heavy metals, which types of tests should I ask for and for what metals should they test?
I do have a post about that: https://ireadlabelsforyou.com/chelation-therapy-heavy-metals/ 🙂 ~Irina
Have you looked into Beauty Counter? Looks promising: http://www.beautycounter.com/know-everything/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/heavymetals-preview.jpg
I thought so, too. Unfortunately, when I asked them about specific amounts of heavy metals they find in the pigments they source, they said that this information is proprietary. I do not find this type of answer comforting. Do you? Thank you for your comment, Jennifer!
I’d love to answer this as a partner with them for a couple of years now. I have worked hard for several years to research safer non-toxic products, and have scoured right and left for companies who are transparent and honest about what they use, as well as strict in their screening process. Beautycounter discloses everything- I mean EVERYTHING. You can find every single ingredient as well as why they use it and where it’s sourced from right in their site- transparency is their thing. (They’re very open about answering all questions openly- I’ll happily give you the email or number to call!) They not only batch test products three times for heavy metals alone, but they also third party test to be thorough as sometimes things can sneak in the sourcing process. (All of their products are made in the US except for their color cosmetics, which are made in Italy strictly because the soil there is cleaner/lacks the heavy metals that ours has.) The problem is that the FDA doesn’t regulate what goes into skin care and beauty products- while the EU has now banned about 1400 ingredients, the US just bans 30- up from the measly 11 it did previously. I love Beautycounter because they truly are an education first company. They’re even working in DC advocating for new laws so that all products can one day be made safer… and slowly, we’re making headway! In the meantime, I truly trust their ethics, screening process, and ingredient selection process. Of course using zero products is grand, as are homemade goodies, but for those who want products like the ones you’d get at a high-end department store- but without all the junk and made much safer- I think it’s one of the best options out there. Of course it all comes down to personal preference, and there are some other great mindful companies out there… but I’m currently pregnant and am wearing it head to toe, and I am very choosy about what I expose my lil one to. 😉 Also always happy to answer any questions anyone has! 🙂
By the way, love this article!!! 🙂
Thanks so much for this comment, Natalie! I am glad that you are satisfied with Beautycounter’s level of transparency. I am not as comfortable with it though for the following reasons.
As you might know, I do not accept anyone’s marketing claims, no matter how impressive they are. Instead, I look at the ingredients and ask hard questions. I only recommend a product or line if I am satisfied with the answers I receive.
I first contacted Beautycounter in 2015. I asked some questions in an e-mail. On December 4, 2015, I received an answer from their customer service that did not, in my opinion, answer my questions satisfactorily.
In July 2016, I was contacted by one of my blog readers who, like you apparently, had become a Beautycounter salesperson (you reference a “partnership” with them). Because she was determined to get me answers to my questions, I let her forward my questions to the Beautycounter team. They responded to my blog reader, who forwarded the answers to me. They answered my questions, but I had more questions. My reader was able to put me in touch directly with the Beautycounter team.
As a result of her efforts, I had a conference call with the Beautycounter team on November 11, 2016. Among other things, I asked them for the heavy metal test results they said they had performed on samples. They said they would get back to me on that.
On December 6, 2016 they sent me a Non-Disclosure Agreement (“NDA”) to sign. Companies often use non-disclosure agreements in order to protect their trade secrets, and I was fully prepared to sign a non-disclosure agreement that would work for both of us. However, the NDA they provided me was so rigid that it would not have permitted me to say anything about the test results, even that I could not recommend the products.
Accordingly, it would have been foolish of me to have signed it as it was written. So, on December 8, 2016, I wrote back to them and suggested the following addition to the NDA:
12. Safe Harbor Language
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if asked her opinion as to any Counterbrands product, Recipient [i.e. Irina Webb] may state as follows:
1. “I have looked into their product ingredients and decided not to recommend their products.”
2. “I have looked into their product ingredients and have decided to recommend only _________ [or: the following products: __________].”
3. If asked to elaborate, Recipient may state, “I am prevented by the terms of a non-disclosure agreement I signed with Beautycounter from saying anything further.”
I did not hear back from them.
On December 19, 2016 I talked to them about the NDA and they said they would look into revising it but that they are busy.
I recently followed up and received this, “Working on it, thanks for the nudge! As I mentioned via phone, we’re grossly short staffed right now, but I’m in the middle of hiring! 🙂 Thanks for your patience.”
I have also recently been advised that they have hired a lawyer, and that the lawyer will be in touch with me. I have since heard nothing.
Maybe they will agree to my reasonable request. If so, I may have the ability soon to say whether or not I approve of their products, but I may not be able to elaborate.
In short, I do not have enough information to say if they are safe.
Just so you know, it would be very easy and potentially lucrative for me just to jump on the bandwagon and say how much I love their products. However, I can’t do that in good conscience, because too many people trust my opinions and I never want to do anything to lead anyone astray simply for financial gain. Our health and beauty are my priorities.
One last thing about Beautycounter gives me pause. In my opinion, plants are best for our skin, not petroleum, but Beautycounter admits that they may be using petroleum-based ingredients. This is a quote from their email to me: “About 25% of our ingredients are synthetic and possibly petroleum-derived. We always prefer to use natural wherever possible and we are very careful to use safe ingredients, whether synthetic or natural. It’s important to note, that this percentage is not reflective of the percentage of synthetic ingredients that make up our formulas as we typically use them at low concentrations.”
I wish I had more to offer you. Perhaps you and others can work with Beautycounter and encourage them to get back to me. Better yet, encourage them to make their test results public, and to amend their practices so that they can definitively say that they use no petroleum-based products. That statement, if true, would put me in a better position to recommend their products.
Again, thanks for your comment!
~Irina
Great post, thankyou Irina. 🙂
I agree Irina, the safest makeup is no makeup. I know a few months ago I would have not said this but thanks to your review on Spa Secrets 4 u, I have been using several of Poppy’s all natural products including the Youth Serum, you recommended with amazing results. Thank you for all the work and research you do!
Thank you, Mari. I am glad you love Spa Secret 4 U. She is truly amazing and I am not compensated to say that 🙂
Loose powder is worse?? This surprises me! Would foundation powder that is not a bright pigment be as bad?
Thanks 🙂
There is a higher risk of inhaling loose powder, too.
So I’m guessing the Bare Minerals brand powders are problematic too?
I am not making accusations against any specific company. The point is that due to the nature of makeup pigments, they all may contain trace amounts of heavy minerals. Random tests by independent labs have proven that. Since there is no requirement to list heavy metals on the label, we have to take precautionary steps with every makeup brand. When a makeup company steps forwards and backs up their claim of testing for heavy metals, I will share this information with you immediately. In the meantime, I do use some makeup but I use it the way I described in the article. Thank you for the question, Jessica!
I’m curious to know, have you looked into 100% Pure makeup concerning this purpose?
Yes. I will send them another email. Maybe my last two emails got lost in a shuffle.
curious what 100% Pure will say … if they reply at all. I’ve been using their mascara for over a year now.
Their website is not so great on listing all ingredients.
Hi Natalia:
I believe they replied after all and said that it was proprietary information. ~Irina
that’s too bad. Thank you for the follow-up!
Are there any safe make-up brands without metals?
I am not aware of any. To know for sure, I have to see test reports from a certified lab. No manufacturer showed them to me yet.
I just discovered a make up brand called “100% Pure”, and they use fruit pigments instead of minerals. I am giving it a try and got some samples from a local store in my area, and they sell online too.
Hi, Lilith: here is my question: If fruit and plant pigments work so great, provide a variety of colors, and heavy metal-free, why is 100% Pure the only company that uses them? You can read more about that here: https://ireadlabelsforyou.com/annual-search-best-safe-mascara/ Have a beautiful weekend! ~Irina
Have u tried it yet? How is it so far?
Luscious cosmetics says this “Although not required by law, we voluntarily partner with globally recognized third-party testing lab SGS to run Heavy Metals Safety tests on each production batch of our cosmetics. This includes testing for a list of other toxic substances commonly present in cosmetics such as arsenic, cadmium and lead.”, So I would definitely consider them to be a safe brand, although not mainstream… They are indie, but to me that’s even better!
Hi, Skylar, do they disclose their heavy metal test report? ~Irina