In the United States, it is not required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for cosmetic companies to register their products. Other than color additives, ingredients present in cosmetic products are not subject to premarket approval. Along with the FDA’s authority on cosmetics being post market only, cosmetic companies are also not required to forward customer complaints to the FDA. This increases the risk of harmful contaminants being present in cosmetic products such as heavy metals. The presence of heavy metals can cause adverse reactions on the skin upon use. Consistent use of products and exposure to these heavy metals can cause chronic heavy metal exposure which can lead to organ damage or cancer. This is particularly concerning with makeup marketed to children. In this work, X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) were used to analyze various samples collected from two children’s makeup pallets. While other notable metals were detected in the samples, both contained a high levels of titanium at 2.6 and 5.3 ppm. The high levels of titanium within the samples could be indicative of titanium dioxide which is commonly found in cosmetics products and can be a potential risk to the consumer.

Quantitative analysis of titanium and other heavy metals in children’s cosmetics by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

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