J. Cosmet. Sci., 66, 313–323 (September/October 2015) 313 Risk assessment of allergen metals in cosmetic products HANDE SIPAHI, MOHAMMAD CHAREHSAZ, ZERRIN GÜNGÖR, ONUR ERDEM, BUĞRA SOYKUT, CEMAL AKAY, and AHMET AYDIN, Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Yeditepe University, Istanbul 34755 (H.S., M.C., Z.G., A.A.), and Department of Toxicology, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara 06010 (O.E., B.S., C.A.), Turkey. Accepted for publication June 12, 2015. Synopsis Cosmetics are one of the most common reasons for hospital referrals with allergic contact dermatitis. Because of the increased use of cosmetics within the population and an increase in allergy cases, monitoring of heavy metals, especially allergen metals, is crucial. The aim of this study was to investigate the concentration of allergen metals, nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and chromium (Cr), in the most commonly used cosmetic products including mascara, eyeliner, eye shadow, lipstick, and nail polish. In addition, for safety assessment of cos- metic products, margin of safety of the metals was evaluated. Forty-eight makeup products were purchased randomly from local markets and large cosmetic stores in Istanbul, Turkey, and an atomic absorption spec- trometer was used for metal content determination. Risk assessment of the investigated cosmetic products was performed by calculating the systemic exposure dosage (SED) using Scientifi c Committee on Consumer Safety guideline. According to the results of this investigation in all the samples tested, at least two of the allergen metals, Ni and/or Co and/or Cr were detected. Moreover, 97% of the Ni-detected products, 96% of Cr- and 54% of Co-detected products, contained over 1 μg/g of this metals, which is the suggested ultimate target value for sensitive population and thereby can be considered as the possible allergen. On the basis of the results of this study, SED of the metals was negligible however, contact dermatitis caused by cosmetics is most probably due to the allergen metal content of the products. In conclusion, to assess the safety of the fi nished products, postmarketing vigilance and routine monitoring of allergen metals are very important to protect public health. INTRODUCTION Cosmetic products are commonly used by millions of consumers to keep their body in good condition, to change their appearance, or to correct body odors (1). On the other hand, increased use of cosmetics and/or continuous use over prolonged time may also lead to unwanted adverse health effects, in particular, local dermal effects (2). It was reported that, cosmetics are one of the most common reasons for hospital referrals with allergic contact dermatitis (3). Address all correspondence to Hande Sipahi at handesipahi@hotmail.com.