Oxford Biosciences Cosmetic Product Experts

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Lead limits in cosmetics, market by market

Lead occurs in cosmetics as a trace from mineral pigments and clays. Each regulator decides how much of that trace it accepts in the finished product, and the figures run from 1 ppm in Washington State up to 50 µg/g for clay-based powders in South Korea. This page gives the position in 69 countries and territories, with a link to the primary text behind every figure.

One mg/kg is the same as one part per million (ppm), and the same as one µg/g.

The figures at a glance

In 2019, Michalek and colleagues found rules on heavy metals in cosmetics in 69 countries. Of those, 67 banned lead as an ingredient1. The table below brings that picture up to date. We sort each market by the way it sets its figure for lead.

MarketCountries coveredLead figureApplies toStatusSource
Group 1. A figure for the finished product, set in law or a mandatory standard (20)
China China 10 mg/kg Finished cosmetics Law [2]
Taiwan Taiwan 10 ppm Finished cosmetics, where the trace is technically unavoidable Law [3]
South Korea South Korea 20 µg/g; 50 µg/g for powders made with clay Unintended lead that cannot technically be removed Law [4]
Eurasian Economic Union Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia 5.0 mg/kg Products with more than 1% raw material of natural plant or mineral origin Law [5]
Gulf Cooperation Council Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates 10 ppm Finished cosmetics, as an impurity Gulf technical regulation [6] [7]
East African Community Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda 10 mg/kg Each product type with its own East African Standard Standard [8] [9]
Group 2. A guidance figure for the finished product (13)
ASEAN Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam 20 mg/kg Finished cosmetics tested on the market Guideline; law in Indonesia [10] [11]
United States (federal) United States 10 ppm Lip products and externally applied cosmetics Draft guidance [12]
Washington State Included in the United States count 1 ppm in law; 2 ppm or 5 ppm under the interim policy Cosmetics sold in Washington State State law [14] [15] [16]
Canada Canada 10 ppm Finished cosmetics Guidance [17]
Germany Germany 2 mg/kg; 5 mg/kg for coloured make-up; 0.5 mg/kg for toothpaste Finished cosmetics Guidance values (BVL) [18]
Group 3. A limit on colourants or raw materials only (6)
MERCOSUR Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay 20 ppm Artificial organic colourants Law [19] [20]
India India 20 ppm Permitted synthetic and natural organic colours Law [21]
Japan Japan 5 to 50 ppm Raw materials; no figure for the finished product Raw material specifications [22] [23]
Group 4. Lead banned, with no published figure for traces (30)
European Union and EEA The 26 EU member states other than Germany, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway No figure A trace must be technically unavoidable and the product safe Law [24]
United Kingdom United Kingdom No figure A trace must be technically unavoidable and the product safe Law [24] [25]

Group 1. A figure in law or a mandatory standard

In China, the Safety and Technical Standards for Cosmetics cap lead at 10 mg/kg, and the cap has applied since 1 December 20162. Taiwan lists lead and its compounds as prohibited ingredients and allows an unavoidable trace of up to 10 ppm in the finished product3. South Korea allows 20 µg/g of lead that is present without intent and cannot technically be removed. For powder products made with clay, the Korean figure is 50 µg/g4.

The Eurasian Economic Union sets 5.0 mg/kg in Article 5 of its technical regulation on perfumery and cosmetics. That figure applies to products that contain more than 1% of raw material of natural plant or mineral origin5. In the six Gulf Cooperation Council states, technical regulation GSO 1943 sets 10 ppm for lead as an impurity6, and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority recalls products that go over it7.

The East African Community writes a separate standard for each type of cosmetic. Each one we checked sets a maximum of 10 mg/kg for lead, among them the standards for shaving cream and for body and face powders8, 9.

Group 2. A guidance figure for the finished product

Regulators in the ten ASEAN states test products on the market against a guideline figure of 20 mg/kg, using the ASEAN Cosmetic Method10. Indonesia made the same 20 mg/kg figure law in BPOM Regulation 16 of 2024, which came into force on 18 September 202511.

In the United States, FDA draft guidance from December 2016 recommends no more than 10 ppm lead as an impurity in lip products and externally applied cosmetics. The FDA concluded that products at or below that figure do not pose a health risk. The guidance does not bind companies12. The FDA also sets a lead specification for each approved colour additive, most of them in the range 10 to 20 ppm13.

Washington State has its own law. Since 1 January 2025, the Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act has banned lead at 1 ppm or above in cosmetics sold in the state14. An interim policy from the Department of Ecology accepts up to 2 ppm in general cosmetics and 5 ppm in colour cosmetics and clay masks. A colour cosmetic or clay mask between 5 and 10 ppm needs a lead test on every batch. The policy, last revised in August 2026, stays in force until Ecology adopts a rule or withdraws it15. Ecology expects to adopt that rule in autumn 202816.

Health Canada guidance from July 2012 treats lead above 10 ppm as technically avoidable. The guidance has no legal force, and Health Canada uses it to decide when to act on a product17.

Germany works inside the EU rules in Group 4, and its federal consumer protection office (BVL) adds guidance values. The BVL treats lead above 2 mg/kg as technically avoidable in most cosmetics. Make-up powder, blush, eye shadow, eyeliner, kajal and theatre make-up have a figure of 5 mg/kg. For toothpaste the BVL uses 0.5 mg/kg18.

Group 3. A limit on colourants or raw materials only

In the MERCOSUR countries, artificial organic colourants may carry up to 20 ppm lead. Brazil applies this through ANVISA RDC 628 of 202219, and Argentina through ANMAT Disposición 1608 of 201320. India's Cosmetics Rules 2020 allow up to 20 ppm lead in the permitted synthetic and natural organic colours21. In these markets the figure applies to the colourant, with no figure for the finished product.

Japan's Standards for Cosmetics require that no ingredient, impurities included, makes a product a health hazard. They set no figure for lead in the finished product22. Japan controls lead through limits on raw materials, from 5 to 50 ppm depending on the material23.

Group 4. Lead banned, with no published figure for traces

In the EU and UK, lead and its compounds are on the Annex II list of prohibited substances. Article 17 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 allows a trace only where good manufacturing practice cannot avoid it and the product stays safe. The law gives no figure for that trace24. In March 2023 the UK Office for Product Safety and Standards published a study of 91 products on the UK market. It used the German BVL figures as its benchmark and proposed no UK action limits25.

The International Cooperation on Cosmetics Regulation is a forum of national regulators. In 2013 it recommended that lead in finished cosmetics stay at 10 ppm or below23.

Selling in more than one market

Work to the lowest figure that applies in any of your markets. A product at or below 2 mg/kg lead meets every finished-product figure on this page, with two exceptions. Washington State sets 1 ppm in law, and the BVL uses 0.5 mg/kg for toothpaste.

In the EU and UK, the safety report must show that any lead present is a trace that good practice cannot avoid, and that the product is safe with it. That calls for a measured result. Our heavy metals testing service measures lead by ICP-MS and reports it against the figure for each market you sell in. The result goes straight to the assessor who writes your CPSR.

Frequently asked questions about lead

Is lead allowed in cosmetics?

In the EU and UK, lead and its compounds are prohibited ingredients, and a trace is lawful only where good manufacturing practice cannot avoid it and the product stays safe. Most other regulators also ban lead as an ingredient and then set a maximum for the trace. Those figures run from 1 ppm in Washington State up to 50 µg/g for clay-based powders in South Korea.

Why do cosmetics contain lead?

Lead is naturally present in rock and soil, so it occurs in cosmetics as a trace from mined and natural raw materials. Common sources include iron oxide pigments, mica, talc and clays. In the UK government's 2023 study of 91 products, eye shadows and lip liners carried the most lead.

What is the legal limit for lead in cosmetics in the EU and UK?

In the EU and UK, the law sets no numerical limit for lead. Lead and its compounds are on the Annex II list of prohibited substances, and Article 17 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 allows a trace only where good manufacturing practice cannot avoid it and the product is safe. Germany's federal consumer protection office (BVL) treats lead above 2 mg/kg as technically avoidable in most cosmetics, and the UK government's 2023 study used the same figure as its benchmark.

What is the lead limit for cosmetics in the United States?

At federal level, FDA draft guidance from December 2016 recommends no more than 10 ppm lead as an impurity in lip products and externally applied cosmetics, and the guidance does not bind companies. In Washington State, the Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act bans lead at 1 ppm or above from 1 January 2025. An interim policy there accepts up to 2 ppm in general cosmetics and 5 ppm in colour cosmetics and clay masks while the state writes a permanent rule.

What are the lead limits for cosmetics in Asia?

China and Taiwan each set 10 mg/kg in law. South Korea allows 20 µg/g, or 50 µg/g for powder products made with clay. The ASEAN guideline figure is 20 mg/kg, and Indonesia made the same figure law from 18 September 2025. Japan sets no limit for lead in the finished product.

What are the lead limits for cosmetics in the Gulf, Eurasia and East Africa?

Gulf technical regulation GSO 1943 sets 10 ppm for lead as an impurity in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The Eurasian Economic Union sets 5.0 mg/kg for products that contain more than 1% of raw material of natural plant or mineral origin. East African Standards for individual product types, such as shaving cream and face powder, set a maximum of 10 mg/kg.

What are the lead limits for cosmetics in Canada, Latin America and India?

Health Canada guidance from July 2012 treats lead above 10 ppm in a cosmetic as technically avoidable. In the MERCOSUR countries, artificial organic colourants may carry up to 20 ppm lead, and Brazil applies this through ANVISA RDC 628 of 2022. India's Cosmetics Rules 2020 allow up to 20 ppm lead in the permitted colours. The MERCOSUR and Indian limits apply to the colourant, with no figure for the finished product.

Which lead limit should I work to if I sell in more than one market?

Work to the lowest figure that applies in any of your markets. For lead in finished products, Washington State's 1 ppm is the lowest figure set in law. In the EU, assessors often cite the German figure of 2 mg/kg. A product at or below 2 mg/kg meets every other finished-product figure on our lead limits page, with two exceptions, Washington State's 1 ppm and the German 0.5 mg/kg figure for toothpaste.

Is the lead in lipstick safe?

The US FDA concluded in its December 2016 draft guidance that lip products and externally applied cosmetics with no more than 10 ppm lead do not pose a health risk. In the EU and UK, the safety assessor must calculate how much lead the user swallows each day from the product and show that the product is safe with it. Lip products get the closest attention because the user ingests part of each application.

Are natural and organic cosmetics free of lead?

Natural and organic status gives no protection from lead. Clays, mineral pigments, plant powders and henna all take up lead from the rock and soil they come from. A product rich in these materials needs the closest check.

How do I show that my cosmetic meets the lead limits?

Test the finished product for lead by ICP-MS, with a method such as ISO 21392 (2021), and keep the result in the Product Information File. The safety assessor then compares the result with the figure for each market and works out the daily exposure. Raw material certificates help, and a test of the finished product is the firmer evidence.

Can Oxford Biosciences test cosmetics for lead?

Yes. We measure lead in finished cosmetics and in raw materials by ICP-MS in our own analytical laboratory, with results in 5 working days from receipt of the sample. The report sets each result against the lead figure for every market you sell in, and the result goes straight to the assessor who writes your CPSR.

References

Every link goes to the regulator, the legislature, the standards body or the journal. Where a text is in its original language, the link says so.

  1. Michalek IM, Benn EKT, dos Santos FLC, Gordon S, Wen C, Liu B. A systematic review of global legal regulations on the permissible level of heavy metals in cosmetics with particular emphasis on skin lightening products. Environmental Research, 2019, volume 170, pages 187 to 193. doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2018.12.029
  2. National Medical Products Administration (China). 化妆品安全技术规范 (Safety and Technical Standards for Cosmetics), 2015 edition, in force 1 December 2016. nmpa.gov.cn (PDF, Chinese)
  3. Ministry of Health and Welfare (Taiwan). 化粧品禁止使用成分表 (List of Prohibited Ingredients in Cosmetics), entry 38, lead and its compounds, as amended 21 March 2024. fda.gov.tw announcement (Chinese) · List of prohibited ingredients (PDF, Chinese)
  4. Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (South Korea). 화장품 안전기준 등에 관한 규정 (Regulation on Safety Standards, etc. for Cosmetics), Article 6. law.go.kr (Korean)
  5. Customs Union Commission Decision No. 799 of 23 September 2011. Technical Regulation TR CU 009/2011, О безопасности парфюмерно-косметической продукции (On the safety of perfumery and cosmetic products), Article 5, paragraph 5. eec.eaeunion.org (PDF, Russian)
  6. GCC Standardization Organization. GSO 1943, Cosmetic products, safety requirements of cosmetics and personal care products. 2021 edition, item 12.4, as notified to the World Trade Organization by Oman. The 2024 edition was approved on 1 May 2024. GSO 1943 (2021) via WTO (PDF, Arabic) · GSO 1943 (2024), GSO Standards Store
  7. Saudi Food and Drug Authority. Warning on two make-up products with lead and arsenic above the GSO 1943 limits, 27 September 2021. sfda.gov.sa
  8. East African Standard EAS 840 (2017), Shaving cream, specification. Copy held by the Tanzania Bureau of Standards. tbs.go.tz (PDF)
  9. Final Draft East African Standard FDEAS 425-1 (2025), Skin powders, Part 1, body and face powders. Copy held by the Rwanda Standards Board. rsb.gov.rw (PDF)
  10. ASEAN. ASEAN Guidelines on Limits of Contaminants for Cosmetics, release version 3.0. Copy held by the Health Sciences Authority, Singapore. hsa.gov.sg (PDF)
  11. Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan (Indonesia). Peraturan BPOM Nomor 16 Tahun 2024 tentang Batas Cemaran dalam Kosmetik, Lampiran, in force 18 September 2025. peraturan.go.id (PDF, Indonesian) · jdih.pom.go.id
  12. US Food and Drug Administration. Draft Guidance for Industry, Lead in Cosmetic Lip Products and Externally Applied Cosmetics, Recommended Maximum Level, December 2016. fda.gov guidance page · fda.gov (PDF)
  13. US Food and Drug Administration. Lead in Cosmetics. fda.gov
  14. Revised Code of Washington, RCW 70A.560.020 (Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act). app.leg.wa.gov
  15. Washington State Department of Ecology. Interim Policy on Lead in Cosmetics, publication 24-04-036, December 2024, revised August 2026. apps.ecology.wa.gov
  16. Washington State Department of Ecology. Chapter 173-339 WAC, Cosmetic Products Restrictions, lead in cosmetics rulemaking. ecology.wa.gov
  17. Health Canada. Guidance on Heavy Metal Impurities in Cosmetics, July 2012, section 4. canada.ca
  18. Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit (BVL). Technically avoidable heavy metal contents in cosmetic products. Journal of Consumer Protection and Food Safety, 2017. doi.org/10.1007/s00003-016-1044-2
  19. Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA, Brazil). Resolução RDC nº 628, de 10 de março de 2022, Article 5, which brings MERCOSUR GMC Resolution 16/12 into Brazilian law. anvisalegis (Portuguese)
  20. ANMAT (Argentina). Disposición 1608/2013, which brings MERCOSUR GMC Resolution 16/12 into Argentine law. e-legis-ar.msal.gov.ar (PDF, Spanish)
  21. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (India). Cosmetics Rules, 2020, G.S.R. 763(E) of 15 December 2020, Rule 39(3). cdsco.gov.in (PDF)
  22. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan). 化粧品基準 (Standards for Cosmetics), Notification No. 331 of 29 September 2000. mhlw.go.jp (PDF, Japanese) · English translation (PDF)
  23. International Cooperation on Cosmetics Regulation (ICCR), Traces Working Group. Considerations on Acceptable Lead Levels in Cosmetic Products (excluding products used in the oral cavity), final report, December 2013. Copy filed with the Vermont Legislature. The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare recorded ICCR acceptance of the report on 22 July 2014. ICCR report (PDF) · mhlw.go.jp (Japanese)
  24. Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on cosmetic products, Annex II entry 289 (lead and its compounds) and Article 17 (traces of prohibited substances). eur-lex.europa.eu
  25. LGC for the Office for Product Safety and Standards (UK). A Feasibility Study Investigating Action Limits for Certain Heavy Metal Impurities in Cosmetic Products, March 2023. gov.uk

Written by Allison Wild, Clinical Pharmacologist, MSc (University of Oxford). Position as at 12 October 2026. Figures are taken from the primary texts listed above. This page is a technical reference, and a product-specific assessment remains the basis for any compliance decision.