Toxic elements in traditional kohl-based eye cosmetics in spanish and German markets

June 17, 2021

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Publicated to: International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health. 18 (11): 6109- - 2021-06-01 18(11), DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18116109

Authors:

Navarro-Tapia, E; Serra-Delgado, M; Fernández-López, L; Meseguer-Gilabert, M; Falcón, M; Sebastiani, G; Sailer, S; Garcia-Algar, O; Andreu-Fernández, V

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Affiliations

Barcelona Ctr Maternal Fetal & Neonatal Med BCNat, Inst Invest Biomed August Pi & Sunyer IDIBAPS, Hosp Clin Maternitat, Dept Neonatol,ICGON, Barcelona 08036, Spain - Author

Hlth Res Inst Carlos III, Programa RETICS, Maternal & Child Hlth & Dev Res Network Red SAMID, Madrid 28029, Spain - Author

Hospital Clinic Barcelona - Author

Inst Invest Biomed August Pi & Sunyer IDIBAPS, Grp Recerca Infancia & Entorn GRIE, Barcelona 08036, Spain - Author

Inst Recerca St Joan Deu, Esplugas de Llobregat 08950, Spain - Author

Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer - IDIBAPS - Author

Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu - Author

Instituto de Salud Carlos III - Author

Univ Murcia, Dept Ciencias Sociosanitarias Med Legal & Forense, Murcia 30003, Spain - Author

Universidad de Murcia - Author

Universidad Internacional de Valencia - Author

Valencian Int Univ VIU, Dept Hlth, Valencia 46002, Spain - Author

Abstract

Kohl is a traditional cosmetic widely used in Asia and Africa. In recent years, demand for kohl-based eyelids and lipsticks has increased in Europe, linked to migratory phenomena of populations from these continents. Although the European legislation prohibits the use of heavy metals in cosmetics due to the harmful effects to human health, particularly to pregnant women and children, these elements are still present in certain products. The European Union recommended levels are Pb < 20 ppm, As < 5 ppm, Cd < 5 ppm, Sb < 100 ppm, and Ni < 200 ppm. In Germany, levels are more restrictive: Pb < 2 ppm, As < 0.5 ppm, Cd < 0.1 ppm, Sb < 0.5 ppm, and Ni < 10 ppm. Here, we analyzed 12 kohl-based cosmetics in different presentations (powder, paste, and pencil) that were purchased in Spanish and German local shops. An inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrophotometer was used to identify toxic elements and heavy metals. Levels of Pb ranged between 1.7 and 410,000 ppm in six of the study samples, four of which had levels above the recommended limit of at least two heavy metals. Arsenic (a carcinogenic element) values were within the range allowed by the EU in only 58% of the studied samples. Moreover, two products doubled this limit, reaching levels of 9.2 and 12.6 ppm. In one of the products, cadmium, related to toxic keratitis, was four times higher (20.7 ppm) than that allowed, while in two other products, these limits were doubled (11.8 and 12.7 ppm). Our results indicate the need to supervise the manufacture of kohl-based traditional products and the analysis of their composition prior distribution in European countries.

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Keywords

aluminumantimony toxicityarsenic exposurecadmiumcadmium toxicitychildrenchromiumconsumer productscord bloodcosmeticheavy metalskohllead toxicitylead-exposurepregnant-womentoxic elementsAfricaAntimony toxicityAsiaCadmium toxicityChildCosmeticCosmeticsEuropeFemaleGermanyHeavy metalsHeavy-metalsHumansKohlLeadLead sulfideLead toxicityMetals, heavyPregnancySulfidesToxic elements

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Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2021, it was in position 45/182, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Public, Environmental & Occupational Health.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from World Citations provided by WoS (ESI, Clarivate), it yields a value for the citation normalization relative to the expected citation rate of: 1.08. This indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: ESI Nov 13, 2025)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2026-04-04, the following number of citations:

WoS: 13
Scopus: 13
Europe PMC: 8

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Leadership analysis of institutional authors

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (Navarro-Tapia E) and Last Author (Andreu Oller, Carmen).

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been Andreu Oller, Carmen.

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