ABSTRACT

The present study was designed and conducted keeping in mind the hazardous of toxic metals in
human health and widespread usage of lips cosmetics by women all over the world. 23 samples
of lips cosmetics (lip balm, lipsticks, lip gloss, lip pencils) were purchased from local markets of
Lahore Pakistan were evaluated for four toxic heavy metals of most concern; cadmium,
chromium, lead and nickel using acid digestion method followed by atomic absorption
spectrophotometer. These four heavy metals were present in varying concentration in all
samples. The result showed the overall metal concentration ranged from 0.0005 gg -1 - 21.2 gg1

. The chromium was detected in 100% of samples and ranged 0.0005 gg -1 - 10.0 gg-1, where

11 out of 23 samples showed chromium content above the permissible limit given in literature as
2 gg-1. The cadmium was detected in 30% of sample and its concentration ranged from 0.01
gg-1 - 3.01 gg-1 and none of sample showed cadmium above permissible limit which is 15 gg 1

. The lead was detected in 100% of samples and its concentration ranged from 0.5 gg -1 - 21.2

gg-1. And 8 out of 23 sample showed lead content beyond permissible limits given in literature
as 20 gg-1. The nickel was detected in 80% of samples and its concentration ranged from 0.3
gg-1 - 15.89 gg-1 and 4 items showed nickel content beyond permissible limits as 5 gg -1.
Among the different products studied, the highest heavy metal contamination was found in the
lipstick followed by lip gloss and lipsticks and then lip balm. Results also showed that exposure
to such lips cosmetics of daily use constitute the potential health risk to user and accumulate in
biological system and are known to induce skin problems and diseases like cancer.