lead in lipstick

You know how kid's toys have been recalled for lead recently and we all thought that was bad? Well, seems the lipstick you've been licking off your lips may have lead in it!

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics conducted tests in an independent laboratory. They say, "More than half of 33 brand-name lipsticks tested (61 percent) contained detectable levels of lead, with levels ranging from 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm). None of these lipsticks listed lead as an ingredient." By the way, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s limit for lead in candy is 0.1 ppm.

Can lipstick be made without lead? Yes. Can you still find inexpensive lipstick with no lead in it? Yes. Are some expensive lipsticks full of lead? Yes. Is this outrageous? YES!

The report says 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
-Dior Addict “Positive Red” – 0.21 ppm

The press release explains, "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. Lead easily crosses the placenta and enters the fetal brain where it can interfere with normal development. Lead has also been linked to infertility and miscarriage."

“Lead builds up in the body over time and lead-containing lipstick applied several times a day, every day, can add up to significant exposure levels. The latest studies show there is no safe level of lead exposure,” said Mark Mitchell, M.D., MPH, president, Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice.