Heavy metal and microbial testing of selected cosmetic products in the Palestinian market

Excessive and continuous use of cosmetic products containing heavy metals can lead to harmful effects. International regulations mandate limited quantities of heavy metals contamination in cosmetic preparations to ensure consumer safety. This research aims to evaluate heavy metal and microbial contamination levels in selected cosmetic products available in the Palestinian market. We collected 35 samples randomly from 23 companies, representing four product types, and analyzed them for the presence of seven heavy metals: zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and arsenic (As) using an atomic absorption spectrometer. We also interviewed pharmacists who sold these cosmetics to assess their knowledge of allowed limits and toxic effects associated with increased heavy metal content in cosmetics. The results indicated that all tested products exceeded the allowed limit for Cd (9.5 ± 2.3 ppm), Cu (33.8 ± 9.2 ppm), and Zn (151.0 ± 7.4 ppm). However, none of the tested samples showed microbial contamination. These findings underscore the significant heavy metal contamination of cosmetics present in the Palestinian market. Thus, there is a pressing need to register and quality-test all cosmetic products sold in the Palestinian market and to raise the pharmacists' awareness and knowledge regarding heavy metals in cosmetics.