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Consumer Group Finds Lead-Leaden Lipsticks

More than half of major brands tested contained lead

By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.com

October 12, 2007     Spanish

• Senators Want FDA Probe Of Lead In Lipstick • FDA To Review Lead Lipstick Claims • Consumer Group Finds Lead-Leaden Lipsticks

Its not just kids' and pets' toys that have dangerous levels of lead. Mom’s lipstick might have the same problem.

Lead tests, conducted by an independent laboratory for the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics, analyzed red lipsticks bought in Boston, Hartford, Conn., San Francisco and Minneapolis.

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, the group said.

According to the analysis, one-third of the tested lipsticks exceeded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 0.1 ppm limit for lead in candy – a standard established to protect children from directly ingesting lead.

Lipstick products, like candy, are directly ingested into the body. Nevertheless, the FDA has not set a limit for lead in lipstick.

“The good news is that the tests show it is possible to make lipstick without lead,” the group said in a statement. “Thirty-nine percent of lipsticks tested had no detectable levels of lead, and cost doesn’t seem to be a factor. Some less expensive brands such as Revlon ($7.49) had no detectable levels of lead, while the more expensive Dior Addict brand ($24.50) had higher levels than some other brands.”

Among the top brands testing positive for lead were:

Dangerous to children, pregnant women

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.

“The cosmetics industry needs to clean up its act and remove lead and other toxic ingredients from their products,” said Stacy Malkan, author of the just-released book, “Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry.”

“Repeated, daily exposures to low levels of lead add up – and they add up on top of lead from paint and drinking water, which is especially a problem in low income communities. There’s no excuse for lead in lipstick or toys. Companies should act immediately to reformulate lead-containing products,” Malkan said.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is calling on the industry to reformulate products to remove lead, to require suppliers to guarantee that raw materials are free of lead and other contaminants, and to join the campaign in demanding that the FDA more strictly regulate personal care products.

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