Health Canada has found heavy metals in children's face paints exceeding the government's own proposed impurity limits, but can't take action because the standards aren't in place yet, internal documents show.

The levels of lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium or antimony found in products during routine testing of children's face paints are considered unacceptable in other jurisdictions, according to the department. The Health Canada survey is still ongoing, and so far three products have been flagged for exceeding the proposed limits.

In addition to updating Canada's cosmetics policy to be more "in line" with other jurisdictions, Health Canada reviewed established tolerable levels to set proposed impurity limits.