No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

The desire for beautification is promoting the use of cosmetics by humans despite its potential danger due to the presence of heavy metal. The current study is carried out to examine the heavy metal content and associated health risk in fifty (n = 50) cosmetic products in Nigeria five (5) piece each of face powder, eyeliner, primer, Bio clear, Carl white, mascara, lip gloss, eye shadow, foundation, and lipstick are randomly sampled from various shops within Nigeria, and their level of toxic metals is assessed (lead, nickel, cobalt, copper, and chromium) using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. All the studied cosmetic samples contain a varying quantity of heavy metals of interest. The health risk assessment method established by the USEPA is adopted to evaluate the possible human health hazard of heavy metals in cosmetics. The overall mean concentration for Pb, Ni, Co, Cu, and Cr are 19.46 ± 0.32, 1.42 ± 0.05, 0.81 ± 0.09, 11.92 ± 0.86, and 5.98 ± 0.46 mg kg−1, respectively. The margin of safety (MoS) values obtained is greater than 100. Even though the concentration of the toxic metals in most of the cosmetic products is in trace amount but the gradual penetration of these metals into the human system may be injurious to the biological system if allowed to accumulate over time. Therefore, it is recommended that the level of toxic metals or the long term exposure to cosmetics should be reduced to minimize the health risk.