Almost exactly a year ago I wrote about the issue of lead in lipsticks. Thanks to a new report by the FDA, the issue is hitting the news again. In 2007 the FDA tested 20 lipsticks for lead. This time they tested 400 lipsticks for lead, and they tested more than just red shades making this study much more comprehensive. In this test the FDA found lead ranging from 0.026 ppm to the highest value of 7.19 ppm. In the 2007 test, none were above 3.06 parts per million. Of the 400 lipsticks tested, 380 had lead in excess of what is allowed in candy.
The FDA says there is no danger from the lead present in lipsticks:
We have assessed the potential for harm to consumers from use of lipstick containing lead at the levels found in both rounds of testing. Lipstick, as a product intended for topical use with limited absorption, is ingested only in very small quantities. We do not consider the lead levels we found in the lipsticks to be a safety concern. The lead levels we found are within the limits recommended by other public health authorities for lead in cosmetics, including lipstick.
They also do not think that using the standard for candy is relevant to lipsticks:
The FDA-recommended upper limit for lead in candy is 0.1 ppm. It is not scientifically valid to equate the risk to consumers presented by lead levels in candy, a product intended for ingestion, with that associated with lead levels in lipstick, a product intended for topical use and ingested in much smaller quantities than candy.
However, I would disagree. First of all, if they didn't think lead in lipstick was a safety concern they wouldn't have test, and more importantly, re-tested lipsticks for lead. Nor would they be considering setting upper limits for lead in lipstick.
Also, lipstick is a product generally worn every day. Most of the lipstick worn is ingested. Lead is a neurotoxin. According to CNN:
In a letter to the FDA last week, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics countered that "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" - a particular concern for millions of women of childbearing age, the group said. Citing a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stating that no amount of lead is safe for children and that exposure in both children and pregnant women should be prevented, the group pushed the FDA again to set a maximum allowable limit for lead in cosmetics.
"We want to see the FDA recommend a limit based on the lowest level a company can achieve, like candy manufacturers are required," says Campaign for Safe Cosmetics co-founder Stacy Malkan. The group also launched a video contest for consumers to send videos and photos appealing to cosmetic companies to rid their products of lead.
Exposure to lead can cause learning, language and behavioral problems in children and has been linked to lower IQ; exposure in pregnant women can interfere with development of the fetus.
The amount of lead in a lipstick does not correlate to the price. The biggest offender is L'Oreal with 5 of the top 10 most contaminated being manufactured by them. Other brands include Nars, Cover Girl, Maybelline, Burts Bees and more. To see the full list of products tested and the lead limits, see the FDA Lipstick and Lead: Questions and Answers.
Stay tuned tomorrow for information on how lead gets into lipstick, what you can do, including a petition by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics asking L'Oreal to Get the Lead out of Lipstick!
Can't wait until tomorrow? Join me and Stacy Malkan of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tonight on twitter for a discussion about lead in lipstick and their efforts. It starts at 7pm Pacific. Be sure to follow the #ecowed hashtag and follow me at @YourOrganicLife.
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