Pay attention to prepaid toxic substances when choosing cosmetics

Hazardous ingredients such as chemicals, heavy metals, and bacteria are hidden in beauty and hairdressing products, threatening the health of beauty lovers. Forbes magazine on the 12th reminded that eyes should be widened when choosing and using cosmetics.

Choose cosmetics to see the ingredients

Mercury-containing cream

The US Food and Drug Administration found last week that some imported creams may contain different levels of heavy metals such as mercury. Some consumers suffer from the inclusion of such ingredients in their cosmetics.

The list of mercury-containing creams listed by the Food and Drug Administration is quite long. In short, the efficacy of mercury-containing creams is often focused on “brightening” and “anti-wrinkle”. Symptoms of mercury poisoning usually include tremors, memory loss, irritability, visual and auditory changes. Mercury-containing creams have so far been available in seven US states. Severe cases of mercury poisoning have been reported. Forbes reminds consumers to read the ingredients carefully before buying the cream. If there is no ingredient, avoid buying it.

Many lipsticks are detected to contain lead

Lead-containing lipstick

The Food and Drug Administration tested hundreds of lipsticks in two consecutive tests and found that 100% of the tested lipsticks contained lead and the lead content was not low.

The first test found that the lead content of the tested lipstick was up to 3.06ppm. Ppm is the unit of concentration measurement and 1 ppm is one part per million. The second test results are scheduled to be released in May and June this year. According to the test results obtained by Forbes in advance, the lead content can reach up to 7.19ppm.

Many well-known brand lipsticks have detected lead content, including L'Oreal, Revlon, Avon and cover girls, Dior, MAC and other high-end brands have also not been spared. Among them, among the 10 kinds of lipsticks with the highest lead content, 5 were manufactured by L'Oreal USA.

Even more disturbing is the fact that even a lipstick from the American skincare brand “Little Bee”, which took the “natural” route, was found to contain moderate lead.

Mascara may breed bacteria

Brilliant eyelashes

Mascara is a must-have cosmetic product for women who value eye makeup. However, if the mascara is stored for too long, it may breed bacteria.

According to the research published in the Journal of Optometry, eye bacteria can enter the paste through the brush of the mascara. Using a microscope, the researchers found microbes in 33% of the mascara tested.

Most of the bacteria hidden in mascara are not harmless bacteria, but staphylococcus, streptococci, and even fungi. Since mascara contains preservatives that inhibit bacterial growth, mascara can be considered safe within 3 months.

Forbes reminds consumers that mascara should be placed away from the wallet and kept away from the heat source that can accelerate the failure of the preservative. Do not use mascara on the car to avoid stabbing the cornea.

Cosmetics may also contain formaldehyde

Other tips

Although some straight hair products are labeled "formaldehyde-free", some keratin products have been found to contain formaldehyde. The content of formaldehyde in the straight hair products in the US market is not high. If it is only sent directly several times a year, it will not cause too much harm, but more frequent straight hair is not promoted.

It should also be noted that some mineral-based cosmetics are usually present in powder form. Molecules such as mica are very small and can float in the air and be inhaled into the lungs.

There are no relevant hazard warnings for the packaging of mineral cosmetics. However, some experts pointed out that frequent use of such cosmetics may damage the lungs. Forbes reminds consumers that buying cosmetics depends on whether or not they are labeled.