Do you wear lipstick on a regular basis? The Consumer Council of Hong Kong tested about 30 different lipstick samples, and found that over half of them contained contaminants and allergy-causing substances.
The test included 23 models of traditional lipsticks and 7 models of lip tints or liquid lipsticks, with prices ranging from $65 to $505 per tube.
Lipsticks from brands such as Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Gucci and Estee Lauder have been found to contain at least one allergenic heavy metal that can cause skin irritations, Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog said.
The Consumer Council said today that tested samples of the brands of Giorgio Armani, Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown, Make Up Forever, MAC, Lancome, Ettusais and NARS had heightened levels of two to three allergenic metals.
Samples of L’Oreal Paris, Chanel, Tom Ford and Charlotte Tilbury were found to have a higher-than-average level of one type of such metals.
Nickel and cobalt are commonly known allergens, and repeated use of nickel-containing products on the skin may cause allergic contact cheilitis, with dryness, peeling, cracking, fissures, rashes, swelling, and burning or tingling sensations.
“The council recommends manufacturers to pay special attention to the raw materials that may contain allergenic heavy metals and their concentrations, and to strive to not use raw materials containing allergenic heavy metals or to minimise the use of such ingredients as much as possible,” the Consumer Council concluded.
SOURCES:
Dr. Ardyce Yik ND 