In 2007, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested 33 popular brands of lipstick and published their shocking find: 61% of those lipsticks contained lead, even trusted ‘natural’ brands like Burt’s Bees. Levels ranged up to 0.65 parts per million – and experts say even tiny amounts can be harmful. Unfortunately, it’s now 2009 and many brands of lipstick still contain this hazardous substance.
From The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics:
“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,” according to Mark Mitchell, M.D., MPH, president of the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice.
The good news is that lipstick doesn’t need to contain lead: 39 percent of lipsticks tested by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics were lead-free – including a $1.99 tube of Wet & Wild. Obviously, it is possible to make lead-free red lipstick.
So why aren’t all companies doing so?
Because they don’t have to. It’s legal for lipstick and other cosmetic products sold in the United States to contain unlimited amounts of lead. While some companies are taking care to use raw materials that are not contaminated with lead and to purchase lead-free pigments, other companies are not taking these precautions. For the list of all the brands we tested for lead, see page 10 of our report, “A Poison Kiss”.
The FDA has still not taken action after the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics published its data on lead in lipstick. A Califonia state bill to ban lead in lipstick died in the Senate in 2008 after a massive industry lobby effort. We can’t trust companies to keep us safe, so we’ve got to be our own advocates.
So, when you’re applying a sexy red pout for your Valentine’s Day date this Saturday, make sure your chosen lip color is lead-free. Lead isn’t listed on the ingredients, so you can’t go by that – check out this list of 11 lead-free lipsticks at The Daily Green for surefire choices.
Link [Campaign for Safe Cosmetics] + [The Daily Green]
Photo credit: Flickr user Ká
