The presence of parabens and phenoxyethanol (PE) was investigated in 129 types of commercial lipstick products based on the ingredients listed on their labels. 55 products (42.6%) were labelled as containing parabens, and 30 (23.3%) were labelled as containing PE.   50 commercial lipstick tubes were purchased, and the amounts of parabens and PE were assayed using HPLC. Parabens was detected in 43 tubes with an average value of 128mg/100g, and PE was detected in 16 tubes with an average value of 260mg/100g.   A questionnaire survey regarding the use of lipstick was conducted among 28 female respondents. Based on the survey results, the quantity of paraben and PE ingested was estimated from their contents in commercial lipsticks. The average quantity of ingested parabens (of the total paraben content) was estimated to be 0.060mg/day, and that of PE was estimated to be 0.12mg/day. The maximum quantity of parabens and PE ingested in one day was estimated to be 0.953mg and 1.25 mg, respectively.   Consequently, the paraben and phenoxyethanol daily intakes from commercial lipsticks are low, and it was concluded that they are not likely to present any problem with normal use.