In a recent FDA report on Lipstick and lead found that most of the 400 lipsticks approved by the FDA tested positive for lead. And according to the independent group – The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics – the world’s largest cosmetics company is putting lead in their goods. Apparently, cosmetics giant L’Oreal has five of the nine highest-leaded lipsticks, the most among the major brand names.
The FDA said in a statement that the levels of lead found were not high enough to raise any health concerns. Still, why accept a toxin like lead in a product as readily ingested as lipstick.
For a better idea of why this is raising concern, please consider: when it comes to American drinking water, 15 parts per billion is the cut off (with a larger goal of keeping it down to nil), and children’s products manufactured in the United States cannot contain any more than 100 parts per million of lead. The cosmetics industry hopes to alleviate worry by pointing out that unlike water, for instance, lipstick is not intended to be consumed by the user; however, it is likely that throughout the hours of wear, along with the repeated applications, certain amounts of lipstick will be consumed—and when it comes to pregnant mothers, the level of danger is raised even higher
“Lead builds in the body over time, and lead-containing lipstick applied several times a day, every day, can add up to significant exposure levels,” explains Mark Mitchell, co-chairman for the Environmental Health Task Force for the National Medical Association.