The Ally Project

nationalpost:

Arsenic, lead and mercury discovered in Canadian cosmetics
You won’t find lead or arsenic on the ingredients list of your favourite lip gloss or eyeliner, but a Toronto-based environmental group has tested dozens of cosmetics products commonly used by Canadians and found virtually all of them were contaminated with heavy metals.

Environmental Defence released a study Monday that shows Canadian consumers can’t assume their cosmetics products are safe, even if they read lists of ingredients carefully.

“Canadians deserve to know what is in their cosmetics,” said Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence. “Given the choice, we think most consumers would not put arsenic or lead on their lips and faces.”

Researchers asked six women from various parts of Canada to name five products they use daily. The researchers then purchased these products in Toronto, along with five other commonly used products, and sent them to an accredited laboratory to have them tested for the presence of arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, beryllium, selenium, thallium and nickel.

All these heavy metals, except for nickel, are banned from being intentionally added to cosmetics in Canada because of negative health effects. But contaminants can show up in makeup for various reasons: they may have been present in raw ingredients, they can be by-products of the manufacturing process, or they can be formed by the breakdown of ingredients. In the case of heavy metals, they may be present in rocks, soil and water used in the manufacturing of pigments, for example.