ORIGINAL PAPER
Study of contaminants in natural cosmetics
 
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1
University of Rzeszow, Rzeszów, Poland (Doctoral School, Collegium Medicum)
 
2
Voivodeship Sanitary and Epidemiology Station in Rzeszow, Rzeszów, Poland
 
3
University of Rzeszow, Rzeszów, Poland (Faculty of Medicine, Medical College)
 
4
University of Rzeszów, Rzeszów, Poland (Faculty of Health Sciences and Psychology, Collegium Medicum)
 
 
Online publication date: 2026-04-20
 
 
Corresponding author
Agnieszka Rybka   

University of Rzeszow, Doctoral School, Collegium Medicum, Rejtana 16C, 35-959 Rzeszów, Poland
 
 
 
HIGHLIGHTS
  • The interest in natural products in cosmetology requires constant supervision.
  • Chemical and biological testing reduces the risk of irritation and allergies.
  • This encourages consumers to choose natural cosmetics.
  • The selected cosmetics analyzed met European standards.
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ABSTRACT
Objectives: Cosmetic products placed on the market should be safe for both the consumer and the professional user. Safety monitoring of cosmetics is regulated by law in the European Union. In practice, there are 3 levels of safety assessment: the manufacturer, a qualified safety assessor and the competent authority, which in Poland is the State Sanitary Inspectorate, responsible also for official surveillance and product sampling. To identify the occurrence of threats to human health from selected chemical and biological factors based on cosmetic products distributed in Podkarpackie Province in 2023. Material and Methods: The material was 40 randomly selected samples of cosmetic products for body, face and hair. Formaldehyde was determined by spectrophotometry, silver(I) nitrate (AgNO₃) by spectrophotometric methods, and mercury by atomic absorption spectrometry with an amalgamation technique. In addition, the total number of aerobic mesophilic microorganisms and Staphylococcus aureus were analyzed. Results: Formaldehyde content was <0.005% in all tested cosmetics for skin and hair cleansing. Mercury ranged from 0.0000001±0.00000001% to 0.0000002±0.00000003%. Silver(I) nitrate(V) in eye products was <1.57%. The total count of aerobic microorganisms was <10 CFU/g, and Staphylococcus aureus was not detected. Conclusions: Cosmetic products tested in 2023 showed formaldehyde below the detection limit (<0.005%), while mercury, AgNO₃, and microbiological contaminants were within legal limits. Results apply only to the analyzed samples and should be interpreted considering current formaldehyde limits in cosmetics (0.001%, 10 ppm). Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2026;39(2)
eISSN:1896-494X
ISSN:1232-1087
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