80% of 25 eyeshadows found to contain heavy metals: Hong Kong consumer watchdog

More than 80 per cent of 25 cream and liquid eyeshadows tested by Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog have been found to contain heavy metals that may cause skin allergies, with lead being detected in all products, though not at levels that pose safety concerns.

Nine of the 25 single-colour models in stick, cream and liquid form did not list an expiry date or period after opening, according to the Consumer Council. Ten products only listed ingredients in Japanese or provided no such label.

“The industry is urged to clearly list all ingredients and expiry dates on the product package to help consumers identify potential health and environmental pollution risks to make informed choices,” Jack Poon Sik-ching, the council’s chairman of the committee on digital economy and information technology, said on Monday.

The council tested 10 eyeshadow sticks or crayons, seven cream eyeshadows and eight liquid eyeshadows. They were analysed for four metals that could cause skin irritation – antimony, chromium, cobalt and nickel; and four safety-related elements – lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury.

The level of allergenic heavy metals detected in the cosmetic products was below a more lenient acceptable standard of 5mg/kg, except for Mermaid Eye Shade in “Starfish” hue from New York-based brand Chantecaille, which contained 5.4mg/kg of chromium.

Cobalt was detected in 80 per cent of tested models in amounts between 0.13mg/kg and 1.6mg/kg, while 19 models contained chromium between 1mg/kg and 5.4mg/kg.