The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning that immigrant children with high levels of lead might be poisoned by traditional cosmetic and folk remedy preparations. A 6 month old infant of Nigerian decent was found to have a high blood lead level due to the application of “tiro” 3-4 times per week to his eyelids. Tiro is 83% lead. Asian and Middle Eatern cultures use similar lead-containing products like suma, kajal, and kohl.
PositiveTip: Beware of imported traditional cosmetics and remedies as they may have very high levels of lead.