Consumer watchdog says test on 30 lipsticks found over half contain contaminants and allergy-causing substances

The Consumer Council tested 30 models of lipsticks, lip tints or liquid lipsticks of popular brands on the market, and found that over half of them contain contaminants and allergy-causing substances.

The test included 23 models of traditional lipsticks and 7 models of lip tints or liquid lipsticks, with prices ranging from $65 to $505 per tube.

The watchdog said 23 out of 30 models were detected with short-chained mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) that may accumulate in the human body. Among them, five contained higher amounts exceeding the Cosmetics Europe recommendation.

Four models were detected with relatively higher amounts of long-chained MOSH and their analogous, which did not comply with the safety threshold recommended by the European Consumer Organisation, the watchdog added.

Animal studies have shown that both short-chained and long-chained MOSH are more likely to accumulate in the liver of animals and may be associated with the formation of hepatic granulomas.

Meanwhile, the Council’s test also found eight of the samples containing two to three allergenic heavy metals, including nickel and cobalt.

Nickel and cobalt are commonly known allergens, and repeated use of nickel-containing products on the skin may cause allergic contact cheilitis, with dryness, peeling, cracking, fissures, rashes, swelling, and burning or tingling sensations.