Abstract

This study focused on the assessment of some toxic heavy metals Pb, Hg, Zn, Cd, Cu and Ni found in Carotone, Caro white, Skin light, Peau clair, Perfect white, Pure white, Miss Caroline, Sivo clair, Top white and Nature white cream samples. The instrument used to determined the heavy metals was Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy and the results obtained showed the concentration in mg/Kg of heavy metals in various sample of cosmetics ranges from Hg (10.53-138.87), Zn (9.67-35.23), Pb (6.87- 49.47), Ni (0.56 - 92.17), Cd (8.0-27.57) and Cu (0.6-171.23). The results showed that highest concentration of Hg, 137.87 mg/kg was found in skin light and none concentration 0.00 mg/kg was found in Carotone, Sivo clair and Nature white. The highest concentration of Zn, 35.23 mg/kg, Pb, 49.47 mg/kg, Ni, 92.17 mg/kg, Cd, 27.57 mg/kg, Cu, 171.23 were found in carotone, Skin light, skin light, skin light and peau clair respectively. The lowest concentration of Zn was found in pure white, Pb was found in Carotone, Caro white, Nature white. Lowest concentration of Ni, Cd, Cu and Zn were found in Pure white. Nature white contained the lowest concentrations of Hg, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cu with Cd higher when compared with World Health Organization. The results showed that Nature white is a very good cosmetic to be used as its contained low heavy metals content while sample Skin light contained high amount of heavy metals content which makes the cream to possessed high risk for used.