A new finding by UC Berkeley researchers states that lip products contain concentrations of heavy metals, including lead, which can result in higher risks of neurological damage and increased risk of cancer over time, reports NY Daily News.
The study shows lipsticks and lip glosses contain ingredients with high concentrations of heavy metals such as lead, chromium, cadmium, aluminum and five others that can have an alarming rate of exposure to health disorders. Over the course of time, an average lipstick user, ingesting just about 24mg every day, reaches 20 percent of more of their maximum safety exposure limit of aluminum, cadmium and manganese.
Researchers looked at 32 different lip products which are popularly found in any drug store or departmental store. They found ingredients which increase the risk of exposure to certain health disorders. The authors said that an average lipstick user ingests 24mg of these products, while a frequent user ingests about 87mg. The study shows that even an average user of lip products is exposed to a greater amount of chromium, which is a known carcinogen associated with diseases like lung cancer and stomach tumors.
Previous studies have shown cosmetic ingredients containing metals, but in this study, the UC Berkeley researchers estimated the amount of metals found in these cosmetics and how they have an effect on consumers' health, based on their daily intake.
"Just finding these metals isn't the issue; it's the levels that matter," study author S. Katharine Hammond, professor of environmental health sciences at UC Berkeley, said in a statement. "Some of the toxic metals are occurring at levels that could possibly have an effect in the long term."
Hammond also noted that these cosmetic products are often found in the hands of children and warns about the circumstances.
The metal content found in cosmetics is currently not undertaken by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but the authors insist on closer supervision.
"I believe that the FDA should pay attention to this," study author Sa Liu, a UC Berkeley researcher in environmental health sciences, said in a statement. "Based upon our findings, a larger, more thorough survey of lip products and cosmetics in general is warranted."
Hammond also said that there is no need to eliminate the use of lip products completely, however, it is advised that heavy usage of these products may involve long-term risks, so women should limit the usage.
The findings of this study are published online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.