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.
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
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)