Measurement of nickel, cobalt and chromium in toy make-up by atomic absorption spectroscopy

Cosmetics should not contain more than 5 ppm of nickel, chromium or cobalt; to minimize the risk of sensitization in very sensitive subjects, the target amount should be as low as 1 ppm. Until now, there has been no information in the literature about the presence of these metals in make-up toys. Fifty-two make-up toys were analyzed using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Over 5 ppm of nickel were present in 14/52 (26.9%) samples; chromium exceeded the considered value in 28/52 (53.8%) samples with values over 1000 ppm in 3 eye shadows. Cobalt emerged as the least represented metal as only 5/52 (9.6%) samples revealed amounts over 5 ppm. Powder make-up toys (eye shadows) revealed the highest levels of metals, while “creamy” make-up toys (lip gloss and lipsticks) the lowest. Make-up toys are potentially sensitizing items especially for atopic children, who have a damaged skin barrier that may favour allergens penetration. Key words: make-up toys, atomic absorption spectroscopy, nickel, cobalt, chromium