Moisturiser, perfume, make-up and sunscreen are just some of the substances we slap on each day without thinking, but have a think about it: Do you really know what you’re putting on your skin?

A UK natural deodorant manufacturer has found that the average woman willingly “wears” over 500 chemicals each day, with one moisturiser containing up to 30 different chemicals and perfume as many as 400.

And researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, recently found that lipstick can contain as many as nine different toxic metals — some at levels that could raise potential public health concerns.

The Berkeley study’s author, Professor Katharine Hammond, said that while the presence of metals detected in the 32 lipsticks tested was not concerning, it’s the levels of those substances that matter.

“Some of the toxic metals are occurring at levels that could possibly have an effect in the long term,” she said.

Although many products contain chemicals and metals in particular, lipstick and lip glosses are of particular concern, the study warned, as they are easily ingested or absorbed by the wearer.

A daily ingestion of 24mg of make-up per day could mean consumption of small amounts of metals such as lead, and if used twice daily, lipstick could account for more than 20 per cent of a person’s daily intake of aluminium, cadmium and manganese.

Increased concern over chemicals in make-up and skin products has seen a shift towards organic and natural make-up, but consumers who are worried about what they’re putting on their skin should do research beyond the products’ labels, Australia’s largest organic products certifier has warned.

“Organic standards regulate that only mild chemical processes are used [in] manufacturing, and the resulting ingredients are safe according to the scientific literature available, and free of genetically modified materials,” Australian Certified Organic officer Jorge Larranaga told News Limited.

“A list of [ingredients it doesn’t contain] doesn’t mean a product is free of synthetic chemical. It’s just free of the ones that are recognised by consumers.”

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