Eye Products Containing Lead Banned in Maryland

Oct 30th, 2008
Katie Schaefer

Best Foods Inc. (New York) has agreed to stop selling eye cosmetic products that contain lead in Maryland. Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. announced Dec. 28, 2006, that his Consumer Protection Division had reached an agreement with the distributor concerning kohl-containing eye cosmetics.

Kohl-based eye products are popular in Africa, the Middle East, Iran, Pakistan, and India and have been linked to incidents of lead poisoning in children. A kohl product marketed as "Hashmi Surma Special" showed high levels of lead. In September, Baltimore City Health Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein, MD, banned the sale of kohl products in Baltimore after two children were diagnosed with lead poisoning after their parents had applied the product to their eyes.

Kohl products are also known by brand names Kajal, Al-Kajl and Surma. The Maryland Attorney General has urged users of kohl-based products to not use the products, particularly on their children, until manufacturers can confirm that the products are safe.

More in Regional
two bottles of talc powder one spilled over blue surface red background AdobeStock_687808176
4 Talc Updates — Avon's $24 M Payout; J&J's South Carolina Trial, Bankruptcy Affirmed; 2 Others in the Hotseat
Recently, Avon payed out $24 million and J&J took the stand (again) in South Carolina, both in cases alleging talc-based powders caused mesothelioma. An appeals court affirmed J&J's second bankruptcy rejection and two other companies are in the hotseat.
Aug 8th, 2024
Fda Mocra Story Fragrance Allergens Authority Adobe Stock 753447517
[interview] U.S. FDA on MoCRA: New Authority, Fragrance Allergens, Animal Testing and More
In this interview, the FDA describes its new MoCRA-mandated authorities, 5 requirements for industry (and how it will enforce them), the mandate for listing fragrance allergens, why animal testing was omitted from MoCRA and more.
Aug 2nd, 2024
Consumers can quickly scan a QR code on the product label and enter the required data, photos and documents needed for prompt investigation.
Meeting 5 MoCRA Mandates for Adverse Event Reporting: Registrar Corp. Launches New Tool
Registrar Corp. has developed software to meet the FDA's/MoCRA's 5 stringent requirements for adverse event reporting.
Jul 23rd, 2024
Kalichem CT Web Exclusive 10-21-24
Sponsored
Kalichem CT Web Exclusive 10-21-24
Sep 30th, 2024
Cosmetic Splay Products Eu Ban Ingredients Adobe Stock 598682531
9 Cosmetic Ingredient Bans/Restrictions in the EU: Kojic Acid, 4-MBC, Retinol, Arbutin and More
The EU Commission officially published several amendments to EU Cosmetic Products Regulation (CPR) that will restrict or ban nine cosmetic ingredients. Read on to learn more.
Jul 11th, 2024
This article outlines some of the key actions and requirements of the EU Deforestation Regulation. Intentions from the UK related to forest risk commodities through Defra are discussed.
European Regulatory Update: EU, UK Defra Lock Down Deforestation Regulations
This article outlines some of the key actions and requirements of the EU Deforestation Regulation. Intentions from the UK related to forest risk commodities through Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) are also discussed.
Jun 28th, 2024
Loose Makeup Powder Cosmetics Adobe Stock 124371035
PCPC, California Court Halt Prop. 65 TiO2 Warnings; Comment Period Extended to July 1
The district court granted an injuction preventing the California Attorney General and any private citizen enforcers from enforcing Prop 65’s warning requirement for titanium dioxide (airborne, unbound particles of respirable size) in cosmetics.
Jun 25th, 2024
“E-commerce platforms create opportunities for legitimate companies to grow and reach new consumers, providing them with more choices and greater convenience,' PCPC notes. 'However, the current structure is vulnerable to exploitation and contributes significantly to a rise in illicit trade. Counterfeit personal care products damage businesses, disregard regulatory protections and more importantly threaten consumers’ health and safety.'
The SHOP SAFE Act of 2024 Seeks to Tackle Beauty's Multi-billion-dollar Counterfeiting Problem: PCPC
Led by Reps. Darrell Issa (CA-48), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Ben Cline (VA-06) and Hank Johnson (GA-04), the act addresses many concerns brands have about e-commerce platforms offering questionable beauty products.
Jun 17th, 2024
Per Google Trends, searches on 'talc-free makeup' are up 350% in the past seven days, which may be due to The Guardian's June 10, 2024, headline: 'Is there asbestos in your makeup? Why women with cancer are suing big beauty brands.'
7 Trends in Beauty — Talc-free Makeup/J&J Settles, Unsafe Products in Sri Lanka, Hair Bonding, Peptides and More
Each week, we dig into growing trends in web searches and hashtags related to cosmetics. Emerging this week are: talc-free makeup and J&J's settlement, unsafe products in Sri Lanka, hair bonding, Argireline hexapeptide products and more.
Jun 15th, 2024
While the MoCRA Act provided the FDA with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to set matters right and take federal responsibility for full industry regulation, the agency chose not to, and prolonged the chaotic mess our industry has dealt with for so long.
What MoCRA Got Wrong [opinion]
The cosmetics industry and consumers would be better served by uniform regulations, rather than the state-by-state patchwork that MoCRA left in place.
Jun 12th, 2024
Companies should review all product labels and update them to include Responsible Person contact information. They should also take stock of any noncompliant inventory and assess the practicability (and cost) of relabeling those products.
How Cosmetics Companies Can Avoid MoCRA Compliance Pitfalls and Litigation
Despite MoCRA’s efforts to clarify and standardize regulations, and even though its requirements have only been in effect for a handful of months, cosmetics companies have already started to encounter pitfalls.
Jun 7th, 2024