Is There Mercury in Your Mascara?

Posted on August 13, 2009 in Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine, Women's Health

If you’re on a quest for long, dark lashes, cosmetics companies are perfectly willing to help you out. But could your mascara contain traces of mercury?

An antifungal and antiseptic compound called thimerosal may still be contained in some cake-type mascaras. The substance is known to cause reproductive and developmental damage as well as neurological damage in even small amounts. The National Library of Medicine classifies it as a known human immune system toxicant, and the state of Minnesota banned it in mascara products in 2007.

The FDA has banned the use of thimerosal in all cosmetics except those used around the eyes, where levels are limited to 65 parts per million. Most companies have reformulated their mascaras to avoid consumer suspicion. However, without guidelines governing thimerosal in eye products, consumers could still be applying tainted mascara.

The Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep cosmetics database lists mascara brands that use dangerous ingredients and safer alternatives. According to the website, only Paula Dorf Cake Mascara for Eyes currently includes thimerosal. If you want to do some sleuthing on your own, read the fine print: manufacturers are required to list what they put in their products.