Lead in Your Lipstick October 19, 2007

I’ve been using the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics website to review cosmetics and toiletries that I currently use or plan to purchase. It has not been as easy as I would have guessed to find safer cosmetics. Last month I purchased 5 new lipsticks so you can imagine my delight at the following report:   

“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.”

Among the top brands testing positive for lead were:

• L’Oreal Colour Riche “True Red” – 0.65 ppm
• L’Oreal Colour Riche “Classic Wine” – 0.58 ppm
• Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor “Maximum Red” – 0.56 ppm
• Christian Dior Addict “Positive Red” – 0.21 ppm

“Lead is a proven neurotoxin that can cause learning, language and behavioral problems such as lowered IQ, reduced school performance and increased aggression. Pregnant women and young children are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure because lead easily crosses the placenta and may enter the fetal brain, where it interferes with normal development. Lead has also been linked to miscarriage, reduced fertility in both men and women, hormonal changes, menstrual irregularities and delays in the onset of puberty. Lead builds up in the body over time and lead containing lipstick applied several times a day, every day, combined with lead in water and other sources, could add up to significant exposure levels.”

Lead occurs naturally in the environment so the Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrance Association (CTFA), the trade association for manufacturers of personal care products, argues that the amount of exposure to lead from cosmetics is extremely small. Recent studies show, however, that no amount of lead exposure is safe. Thirteen of the lipsticks had no detectable amount of lead indicating that lead in lipstick is unnecessary on the part of the manufacturer. The only reason, in my opinion, that cosmetics companies are unwilling to test and reformulate their products without lead is that it will cost them money. For more information, read A Poison Kiss: The Problem of Lead in Lipstick.

Related  Posts:

• What’s in Your Lip Balm?
• A Cosmetic Makeover
• What’s in your cosmetics?

Enjoy this post? Get more like it. Subscribe in a reader or by Email.