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A Poison Kiss Lead in Lipstick
While you may not be able to test for lead by rubbing a gold ring on your lipstick as some urban legends suggest, laboratory testing initiated by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has found that some lipsticks from top brands do contain lead.

Lead is a potent neurotoxin and linked to numerous other health and reproductive problems—and it doesn’t belong in lipstick.

For more information, read our press release or download a copy of “A Poison Kiss,” our report on lead in lipstick with a complete list of products tested. Then take action by writing a letter to L’Oreal, the brand with the highest lead results in our sample.

Please also read our FAQs specific to lead in lipstick, below. Still can’t find the information you need? E-mail us.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lead in Lipstick

Q: Does lipstick really contain lead?

A: According to independent lab tests initiated by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, yes, some lipsticks available for sale in 2007 contain lead. The report, “A Poison Kiss,” names the brands tested and the levels of lead found in them. More than half of 33 top-brand lipsticks tested (61%) contained detectable levels of lead, with levels ranging from 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm). One-third of the lipsticks exceeded the 0.1 ppm FDA lead limit for candy – a standard established to protect children from directly ingesting lead. Among the brands tested found to have the highest lead levels were L’Oreal, Cover Girl and Christian Dior – showing that the more expensive brands are no safer than drugstore brands.

Q: Is just a little bit of lead really harmful?

A: The most recent scientific studies indicate that there is no safe level of lead – no amount of exposure is without harm. Lead is a proven neurotoxin that can cause learning, language and behavioral problems. Lead is also linked to infertility and miscarriage. Pregnant women and young children are particularly vulnerable to exposure because lead easily crosses the placenta and enters the fetal brain, where it interferes with normal development. Lead does not break down in the body, but builds up over a lifetime of exposures.

Q: Is there an FDA limit on lead in lipstick?

A: No, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not have a limit on lead in lipstick. It’s yet one more example of the disturbing absence of FDA regulatory oversight of cosmetics.

In 2006, the FDA established a lead limit of 0.1 parts per million (ppm) in candy, based on the level the agency believed to be the lowest achievable. The lowest level of lead that can be practicably obtained in lipstick is non-detectable, according to our test results. Lipstick, like candy, is ingested directly into the body. Yet the FDA has not set a lead limit for lipstick.

The FDA has set a limit on lead in FD&C color additives ­– which are sometimes used to color lipstick – at 10 to 20 ppm. But there is no FDA limit on the amount of colorant that may be used in cosmetics. Lead may also be introduced from other sources, yet the FDA does not require testing of finished cosmetics for lead or any other hazardous substances.

Q: How does lead get into lipstick?

A: Two possible ways: Colorants used in lipstick may contain lead, or lead may be introduced as a by-product from ingredients mined or obtained from other raw materials, which can include zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, or from materials such as ozokerite (mineral wax or paraffin) and petroleum-based ingredients (petrolatum, mineral oil). Either way, our product tests show that it’s possible to make lipstick with no detectable lead.

Q: Is it possible to find lead-free lipstick?

A: Yes, and no. The good news is, our tests prove it is possible to make lipstick without lead, and cost doesn’t seem to be a factor: 39% of the products tested had no detectable levels of lead. Some less expensive brands such as Revlon ($7.49) had no detectable levels of lead, while some more expensive brands like Dior Addict ($24.50) had relatively high lead levels. The bad news is that consumers without access to laboratory testing cannot determine which lipsticks contain lead and which do not–and you definitely won’t find lead listed among the ingredients.

Q: What should I buy?

A: We can’t say. Our product tests covered just a tiny percentage of lipsticks on the market, so they can’t be used as a guide for what to buy. We don’t want anyone to think the testing of these 33 products is the last word on which lipsticks contain lead. This is just a starting point. The tests reveal that lead is commonly found in lipstick, and that companies are making products with lead levels all over the board.

The bottom line is that we can’t shop our way out of this problem. We need to change the laws so that consumers are protected from toxic ingredients in cosmetics.

Q: How can I get involved?

A: The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is calling on the industry to reformulate products immediately to remove lead, to require suppliers to guarantee that raw materials are free of lead and other contaminants, and to join the campaign in demanding that the FDA more strictly regulate personal care products. You can stay informed about this and other issues related to the safety of cosmetics by signing up for our e-mail alerts. Then tell your friends!

Source: SafeCosmetics.org

Posted in: Alternative Healthcare | Civic and Political Action | Cosmetics | Hair Loss | Harmful Chemicals | Natural Skin Care | Product Reviews | Recommended Reads | Well Being

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