Group warns vs ‘killer lipsticks’

Our body has no use for these heavy metals.

An environmental and public health advocacy group yesterday issued a warning against buying cheap and counterfeit lipsticks which, they claim could put the user’s health at grave risk.

The EcoWaste Coalition made the warning after it discovered the “unlawful sale of fake MAC and Qianxiu lipsticks with dangerously high concentrations of heavy metal contaminants.”

The lipsticks are sold in retail stores from P14.50 to P35 each.

EcoWaste Coalition’s national coordinator Aileen Lucero said, “Consumers, especially women and girls, are putting themselves at risk by embellishing their lips with cosmetics containing heavy metal impurities. It’s fine to wear lipstick and feel beautiful as long as your health will not be impaired.”

She said laboratory tests conducted on samples of the lipsticks bought from retail stores at the 168 Shopping and Divisoria malls in Manila showed a high concentration of heavy metals.

Out of the 57 samples of lipsticks that were subjected to chemical screening with an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device, 55 were found to contain one or more toxic metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury above the maximum allowable limits set by the ASEAN Guidelines on Limits of Contaminants for Cosmetics.

Lead, which is linked to neurological and intellectual deficiencies, was detected in 48 samples. At least 43 samples contained 1,876 ppm of arsenic. Up to 332 ppm of cadmium was traced in two samples and up to 130 ppm of mercury was found in three samples.

EcoWaste chemical safety campaigner Thony Dizon explained, “Arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and other toxic metals must not form part of the composition of lipsticks and other cosmetics to prevent human exposure to these highly hazardous chemicals which could be due to the use of low-quality raw materials and non-adherence to good manufacturing practices.”

An independent research by the World Health Organization showed that arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury are among the “10 chemicals of major public health concern.”

“Our body has no use for these heavy metals which are toxic even at low levels and are linked to neurodevelopmental deficits, hormonal disruption, reproductive disorders and various diseases, including cancer,” Dr. Erle Castillo, toxicologist from Medical Center Manila and the Philippine Society of Clinical and Occupational Toxicology, said. NB