Many people are aware of the dangers of lead poisoning or from exposure to too much lead. Most sources of lead come from lead dust found in homes. Most of this comes from old, peeling paint. Lead is now banned from paints in the United States. Other sources of lead come from roadside dust from back in the days when gasoline contained lead. So, with paint and gas now being lead-free, where else could you possibly come into contact with lead each and every day? The answer could be right on the tip of your tongue, or rather, on your lips.
Many lipsticks actually contain high levels of lead. Yes, lipstick! A rather disturbing thought when you consider many women wear this each day, and reapply often. They also kiss their significant others and children while wearing lipstick. Pretty scary thought when you realize it’s a potential source of harmful lead.
Lead exposure can cause permanent brain damage, a decrease in IQ level and behavioral problems. Lead exposure is especially harmful in a developing fetus and within the first six years of life. Therefore, pregnant women and small children need to be especially careful to avoid lead exposure because they are at the highest risk for harm.
Back in 2007, the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics conducted a study in which many popular brands of red lipsticks were tested for lead. More recently, the Food and Drug Administration ran a test and found even higher lead levels than the CFSC did. Although the FDA does not regulate the amount the of lead in lipstick, they found lead levels up to ten times higher than the safe limit allowed in candy. (This makes me wonder why lead is allowed in candy at all?) Although the specific color red was mentioned, it was unclear to me if this applies to all colors, or just shades of red.
The FDA identified lead in 20 red lipsticks from 10 brands – concentrations of lead four times higher than the amount found in other independent testing. The results of these tests were not made public, but you can purchase a copy of the study online for $35.
Lead is such a danger because it builds up in the body over time. The fact that lead is allowed in lipstick but not in paint or gas is very disturbing. The fact that this is not regulated by the FDA is also very concerning, and that the results from these tests were not made available to the public. The lead comes from the dyes and pigments used to make the cosmetics, but yet the public is not made aware of what they are buying.
Some of the worst offenders for high lead content were from the brand L’oreal. Three of the five highest lead contents came from this brand. Cover Girl, Maybelline and Dior Addict were also found to be high in lead. However, Revlon’s Superlustrous Bed of Roses was found to contain zero lead.
It takes a little digging around on the Internet to find specific brands and colors that are lead-free, but it can be done. There are definitely lead-free lipsticks out there, and at a wide variety of price ranges.