An analysis of 14 mascaras carried out by a team of health professionals from the Organization of consumers and users (OCU) has revealed that there are several of these products that do not offer sufficient safety guarantees, since they include in their composition traces of substances expressly prohibited in this type of cosmetics, such as formaldehyde or nickel.
Three of these cosmetics are considered to exceed the acceptable limits for the health of consumers.
presence of nickel
As explained by the OCU, “the nickel It is a heavy metal, prohibited in cosmetics, which in contact with the skin can induce sensitization problems and trigger allergies. The permissible limit is 5 ppm (parts per million)”. The brands that, according to the analysis, exceed that limit are:
Maxfactor Divine Lasheswhich contains 8 ppm nickel.
Deliplus Maxi Volume, from Mercadonawhich contains 6 ppm nickel.
Presence of formaldehyde
About him formaldehyde, the OCU explained that it is “a possible carcinogen that can also cause sensitization problems in the skin, it is prohibited in cosmetics, so it should not be present in these products”. Even so, the consumer entity has indicated that “the latest scientific opinions establish an admissible limit of 10 ppm.” In this case, it is a brand that overcomes this barrier.
Le Volume, by Chanelwhich contains an amount of 12 ppm formaldehyde.
Related news
The OCU wanted to denounce how lax the European Union Cosmetics Regulationwhich although it includes a list of substances prohibited in cosmetics, admits its presence as traces if they were not deliberately added, there is no technical means to remove them and if the manufacturers have no indication that their product causes harm.
According to the consumer advocacy organization, “this lax regulation prioritizes the interests of cosmetic companies over the safety of users” and has demanded that the European Commission set maximum admissible limits for these toxic substances.