Heavy metals | Inside Our Products (2024)

Heavy metals | Inside Our Products (1)

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Do cosmetic products contain heavy metals? If so, are they dangerous to your health?

Heavy metals: definition

Heavy metals are naturally occurring metallic or metalloid elements, including arsenic [As], cadmium [Cd], chromium [Cr], lead [Pb], mercury [Hg], antimony [Sb], cobalt [Co] and nickel [Ni].

They occur naturally in the soil and in the earth’s crust and in trace amounts in the environment.

Good industrial practice does not prevent the residual presence of minute and unavoidable traces of metal in drinking water, food and consumer products, including cosmetics.

They may therefore be present in ingredients of natural mineral origin such as pigments used as colorants or mineral fillers such as clays.

Regular quality control allows us to monitor traces of heavy metals in our products and to guarantee that they do not represent, in this state of trace, any risk to the health of the consumer.

Regulations on heavy metals vary from country to country. Our regulatory requirements exceed most local regulations in many countries.

The European Cosmetics Regulation (Articles 3 and 17) also allows the unintentional presence of a small quantity of such a substance when this presence is technically unavoidable in compliance with good manufacturing practice and, of course, when it is evaluated without risk to the health of the consumer.

Heavy metals | Inside Our Products (2)

Specific case of lead

Lead is a heavy metal banned for use as an ingredient in all cosmetic regulations worldwide. The threshold authorising its presence at unavoidable trace levels may vary according to country regulations. In accordance with regulations, we do not use any ingredients intentionally containing lead or lead derivatives in our cosmetic products.

However, minute traces of lead are found in our daily environment. It can therefore also be found in cosmetic products. Pigments and colouring agents of mineral origin, used for example in lipsticks, may naturally contain minute traces of lead. We systematically check that these technically unavoidable traces do not pose a risk to human health.

For example, the minute traces of lead in a lipstick represent an exposure for a person one thousand times lower than the daily individual consumption of drinking water in the United States that meets EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) criteria.

In 2012, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a study in the Journal of Cosmetic Science confirming that lipsticks do not pose a health risk to the millions of people who use them every day. All levels of lead detected by the FDA in its study are below the levels recommended for cosmetic products by international health authorities.

All the products we manufacture, distribute and market comply with FDA regulations, the European Cosmetic Regulation and the consumer safety requirements of the authorities of the countries in which we operate.

As is the case with all our products, lipsticks are systematically subjected to a strict evaluation of their quality and safety. This is a fundamental principle that we apply throughout the world.

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Heavy metals | Inside Our Products (2024)

FAQs

What products are heavy metals in? ›

Metals have been found as contaminants in a range of cosmetic products including sunscreen, foundation, nail polish, lipstick and whitening toothpaste. Several ingredients derived from plant sources like cottonseed oils and rice derivatives may also contain heavy metals such as lead and mercury.

Which foods are highest in heavy metals? ›

Research shows that certain foods, like rice and fish, can be more likely to contain heavy metals. To help enjoy these foods safely, consider occasionally swapping rice for alternatives like quinoa, bulgur, couscous or cauliflower rice, and choose fish with lower mercury levels, such as salmon or sardines.

What are the symptoms of heavy metal exposure? ›

Overexposure may cause fatigue, headaches, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and fever. In addition, progressive loss of lung function (emphysema), abnormal buildup of fluid within the lungs (pulmonary edema), and breathlessness (dyspnea) may also be present.

What are heavy metals to avoid? ›

Overview
  • Arsenic. Common sources of exposure to higher-than-average levels of arsenic include near or in hazardous waste sites and areas with high levels naturally occurring in soil, rocks, and water. ...
  • Beryllium. Elemental beryllium has a wide variety of applications. ...
  • Cadmium. ...
  • Hexavalent Chromium. ...
  • Lead. ...
  • Mercury.

Does coffee have heavy metals? ›

Heavy Metals: Conventional coffee may contain traces of metals like copper, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. Studies have linked exposure to these metals with health problems like cancer, heart disease, and neurological problems.

Does oatmeal have heavy metals? ›

Cd stands out as having the highest levels (0.307 mg Cd/kg in oats; 0.237 mg/kg in rye). High levels of Pb (0.347 mg/kg) were also detected in rye. Regarding total mercury, rice stands out (0.0013 mg/kg) followed by wheat (0.001 mg/kg).

Are eggs high in heavy metals? ›

The findings showed that lead and cadmium levels in all evaluated eggs were suitable for human consumption. Adults' Pb and Cd exposure from eating eggs was significantly lower than the risk levels established by Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), per the exposure assessment.

How do you flush heavy metals out of your body? ›

Chelation therapy involves using a medication or another substance (called a chelating agent) to bind metals or minerals so they can be excreted from your body. 3 This procedure can be risky, and sometimes life-threatening, so it should never be done without medical supervision.

What vitamin removes heavy metals? ›

Fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C can reduce the damage caused by heavy metal toxins by acting as an antioxidant. Vitamin C helps convert toxins into a water-soluble form that may be eliminated easily from the body.

What are symptoms of detoxing from heavy metals? ›

What Are Some Symptoms of Heavy Metal Detoxification?
  • Bloating.
  • Gas.
  • Low energy.
  • Metallic taste in your mouth.
  • Nausea.
  • Skin rash.
  • Vomiting.

How to test yourself for heavy metals? ›

All heavy metal test methods involve collecting a sample to send to a laboratory:
  1. Blood tests: Your healthcare provider takes a blood sample in their office. ...
  2. Urine tests: You collect a urine sample at home over a 24-hour period.

How to remove aluminum from the body? ›

Chelator combinations that have the highest efficiency in removing aluminum include ascorbate (AS) (vitamin C), deferoxamine (DFO), which is recognized by the FDA as a well-known drug, and Feralex-G (FG) (a new chelator used in the mouth).

How do you flush metal out of your system? ›

Treatment could include:
  1. Taking chelating agents to remove toxic metals from your body through your urine.
  2. Pumping your stomach (gastric lavage).
  3. Hemodialysis for kidney failure.
  4. Medicines to treat symptoms.
Jul 7, 2022

What foods rid the body of heavy metals? ›

Certain foods, such as spirulina and cilantro, may help transport excess heavy metals out of the body. According to one 2013 review , the following foods may be effective for heavy metal detoxification: Dietary fiber: Various foods rich in fiber, such as fruit and grains with bran, may help remove heavy metals.

Do blueberries remove heavy metals? ›

Yes! Wild blueberries have been known to be effective in counteracting the effects of heavy metal poisoning. They have antioxidant properties that help the body mop up the free radicals produced when the body encounters heavy metals.

Where are heavy metals most commonly found? ›

Sources of heavy metals include mining, industrial production (foundries, smelters, oil refineries, petrochemical plants, pesticide production, chemical industry), untreated sewage sludge and diffuse sources such as metal piping, traffic and combustion by-products from coal-burning power stations.

What are the 23 heavy metals list? ›

There are 35 metals that are of concern for us because of residential or occupational exposure, out of which 23 are heavy metals: antimony, arsenic, bismuth, cadmium, cerium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, gold, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, platinum, silver, tellurium, thallium, tin, uranium, vanadium, ...

How long does it take to detox heavy metals from the body? ›

The good news is that the healthier your lifestyle is, the easier the cleansing process will be. So, depending on the amount of contamination and the condition of your body, it can take months, sometimes up to a year and a half, to finally get rid of all the toxins and heavy metals.

Which chocolate has heavy metals? ›

Dark chocolate tends to be higher in heavy metals than milk chocolate, probably because of its higher cacao content.

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