After reports of high lead levels in Chinese lip products, a research group at the State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Nanjing University (Hongbo Li, Lena Ma, and PhD candidate Di Zhao) carried out a study into the concentrations of lead in popular cosmetics – and whether they pose a threat to lovers of lippy.

“To accurately assess the health risks of lead in lip products, understanding lead bioavailability – the fraction of lead absorbed into the bloodstream following oral ingestion – is essential,” says Hongbo Li. “Until recently, there were no systematic studies available, with previous studies (1)(2)(3) focusing only on total lead concentrations in lip products without considering the bioavailability.” The research group had been focusing primarily on the bioavailability of contaminants in various matrices – including soil, dust, and food – following oral ingestion by humans, so lip products were an obvious progression.