Overview
Alqahtani and colleagues measured lead and cadmium by flame AAS in 13 low-price lipsticks, foundations and eyeliners from Saudi markets. Both metals were found in every product at 0.01 to 0.06 ppm, far below the FDA figures the authors cite. Lead was higher than cadmium in nearly every product.
Key numbers
- Lead per product: “0.01” to “0.06” ppm, highest in eyeliner E2 (Table 1, p. 147).
- Group means: lipstick cadmium “0.01” and lead “0.03 ± 0.01” ppm; all 13 cosmetics cadmium “0.02” and lead “0.04 ± 0.01” ppm (Table 2, p. 148).
Methods (brief)
One gram of each product was digested in nitric and perchloric acids, diluted to 10 mL and read by flame AAS (iCE 3000). No detection limits, reference materials or recoveries are reported.
Evidence Fitness
Thirteen products, single results, no QA. It is not stated whether ppm refers to the digest or the product; if the digest, product values would be ten times higher. Values this low are near flame AAS limits. Color cosmetics are a proxy for cosmetic-clay, which is not linked.