Kohl: a lead-hazardous eye makeup from the Third World to the First World

Kohl is a widely used traditional cosmetic. It is mainly worn around the eyes in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. It may be a pervasive source of lead poisoning in those areas and among individuals from those areas who have immigrated to developed nations. Samples of kohl were purchased in Morocco, Mauritania, Great Britain, and the United States. Some of these samples originated from Pakistan, India, and Saudi Arabia. Kohl is widely believed to consist of antimony, but analysis consistently revealed only trace amounts of antimony. Nine of the twenty-two samples tested contained less than 0.6% lead; however, seven samples had lead levels in excess of 50%. The remainder ranged from 3.31 to 37.3%. Third-world-manufactured kohls were purchased in the United States and Britain, suggesting that this hazard is no longer confined to the third world. Those kohls that contained lead were sold in violation of laws on lead in cosmetics in both of these nations. Third-world physicians and health care workers appear to be unaware of possible lead uptake from unsuspected traditionally used items. Physicians in developed nations with patients from Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa need to factor in the possibility of past or present lead intake from unorthodox sources such as kohl.