Lipsticks manufactured in the U.S. and used daily by millions of women contain “surprisingly high” levels of lead, according to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. The consumer advocacy group released test results on Oct. 11 that showed more than half of 33 name-brand red lipsticks tested contained detectible levels of lead, ranging from .03 to .65 parts per million. The group said one-third of the tested lipsticks exceeded the FDA’s 0.1 ppm limit for lead in candy - a standard that was established to protect children from ingesting lead. The FDA has not set a lead limit for lipstick.
Obviously, lipstick is seldom eaten like candy, so it may not be appropriate to hold lipstick makers to the same standard as candy makers. There is, in fact, no evidence that, at these levels, lipstick poses any danger to those who wear it, and I would also like to see independent confirmation of these lead levels from another laboratory.
Nonetheless, lead is a proven neurotoxin, and it is probably better to be safe than sorry. The good news is that these tests, if accurate, indicate it is possible to make lipstick without lead: 39 percent of the lipsticks tested had no detectible levels. For more information, including a list of tested lipsticks, see www.safecosmetics.org.
**********To check the lotions, potions, and beauty aids you use for safety and toxins, click here and visit
The Environmental Working Group.
They have a great search/database function. You can search by product or brand (they even have Anthony Logistics for men, my fav new products; yes, mostly safe!), and it offers recommendations for safer alternatives to the bad boys (have to change my shampoo). Why wouldn't you pick the safest?
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