Although the FDA limits lead in candy for children’s protection there is no such limit for lipstick, which many people still do ingest.
Lipstick should be tested for lead because one third of the 33 red lipsticks tested in an independent laboratory September 2007 contain more lead than the 0.1-ppm limit put on candy. Members of Campaign for Safe Cosmetics collected the red lipsticks and sent them to Bodycote Testing Group laboratory.
- Glamour magazine in June 2002 stated in one of their beauty quickie tips that women eat about 4 lbs of lipstick in a lifetime.
- Small amounts of lipstick add up over time so no lead levels should be considered acceptable.
- Adding lead to lipstick is not necessary and thirteen of the lipsticks tested contained no detectable lead at all.
- Paying more money for your lipstick does not guarantee it to be safe either. Some of the most contaminated lipsticks were the most expensive.
About Lead
- Lead is a neurotoxin that has been linked to learning and behavior problems, lower IQ, increased aggression, brain damage, miscarriage and infertility.
- Lead was banned in paint long ago after studies showed children were developing problems from being exposed to it.
The Cosmetics Industry
The cosmetics industry maintains that their lead levels are safe. A statement made on the Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrance Association’s website said, “It is impossible to live in a lead-free world. Lead is ubiquitous in the environment. It is in the air, water, soil, in short, it is unavoidable. However, compared to the amount of lead a person would ingest from eating and drinking ordinary foods, the amount expected from the use of cosmetics would be extremely small.”
Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
- To find out which of the 33 lipsticks tested have the highest lead levels, visit the report on the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics website. They also have a listing of hundreds of safer companies who have pledged not to use chemicals that are known or suspected to cause cancer and birth defects.
- Several well known cosmetic companies have refused to sign the Compact for Safe Cosmetics. Some of the same companies that claim to be safe, natural and donate money to cancer research have refused to sign the Compact for Safe Cosmetics.
If you want to take action as an individual, you can stand up by sending a letter insisting the company that manufactures the lipsticks with the highest levels of lead reformulate their lipsticks.
Campaign for Safe Cosmetics goal is to protect consumers health by phasing out the use of chemicals linked to cancer and other health problems and replacing them with safe alternatives.
Source: A Poison Kiss: The Problem of Lead in Lipstick, The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, October 2007 (full report on Campaign for Safe Cosmetics website)
Related: New Product Donates to Nonprofits
