Researchers tested 32 lipsticks and lip glosses from drug stores and department stores. Metals were found in small amounts, but they still exceed safety guidelines.
Researchers say women who apply lipstick twice a day could be exposing themselves to 24 milligrams of hexavalent chromium each day.
A spokesperson for the cosmetics industry says the metals appear naturally and calls the products safe.
The study appears in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
